What does 4-H stand for?

What does 4-H stand for?

Head – 4-H encourages youth to make sound decisions, set goals and stick with them, and develop practical skills needed to lead a productive, fulfilling life.

Heart – Through 4-H, youth learn to act with integrity and accountability while helping others to become their best.

Hands – 4-H members develop important citizenship skills such as putting the needs of the community before their own and serving others.

Health – In 4-H, youth learn to actively take care of their minds and bodies.

Digital Badges

Digital Badges

Digital badges are a powerful new tool that provide electronic acknowledgement of one’s skills, accomplishments and achievements. Badges are earned by showing evidence of one’s learning in both formal and informal settings, and can help transform where and how learning is valued. Earned badges are stored and managed online in the form of a digital backpack, where they can be shared virtually with others to demonstrate one’s expertise, skills or accomplished goals.

One of the values of a digital badge is that anyone can click on the badge and learn who issued the badge, the specifics of what had to be done to earn the badge and a description of what was learned or accomplished. Those viewing the badge can also utilize hyperlinks to learn more about the sponsoring organization and the badge itself. Michigan State University (MSU) and MSU Extension have chosen the Mozilla OpenBadges project for online storage of earned badges.

As an exciting addition to the 2015 Renewable Energy Camp (REC), Michigan 4-H will be offering youth the opportunity to earn several digital badges. For additional details on digital badges you can earn as a participant in Renewable Energy Camp, view the badge information below.

Resources

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Animal Evaluation

Want to learn what the judge is really looking for?

4-H animal evaluation allows young people to explore animal science by learning to evaluate livestock project animals such as beef cattle, sheep and swine. Participants learn to select both market and breeding animals based on breed character, production factors, structure and carcass desirability, as well as learn about marketing and careers in the livestock industry. As youth gain knowledge about animal differences and learn to evaluate and select livestock, they also increase their public speaking skills by preparing and delivering a logical and coherent set of oral reasons to the contest judge.

Youth can participate in two different animal evaluation areas:

4-H Livestock Judging – Youth evaluate live sheep, swine and beef cattle. Local events are held in various counties and a statewide contest, the Michigan 4-H Livestock Judging Contest, is held in July in conjunction with the Michigan Livestock Expo. Youth who take part in the statewide contest have the opportunity to participate on the Michigan 4-H Livestock Judging National Teams, which compete at various competitions throughout the country. Support for these teams is provided by generous sponsors - thank you for your contributions to the program.

4-H Meats Judging – Youth evaluate the meat carcasses of sheep, swine and beef cattle. Local events are held in various counties and a statewide contest, the Michigan 4-H Meats Judging Contest/FFA Meats Evaluation & Technology Career Development Event, is held in July in conjunction with the Michigan Ag Expo.

Livestock management is a part of Michigan’s important agricultural industry, which is vital to the state’s economy and future prosperity. Participating in 4-H livestock projects, such as animal evaluation, could set you on the path to an excellent career in agriculture.

Swine

Curious why pigs have so many babies?

4-H livestock projects, including swine, provide great opportunities for youth to learn about animal and veterinary science, as well as animal production practices while gaining valuable life skills such as responsibility and record-keeping.

4-H youth will feed, train, show and care for swine project animals as they learn about swine breeds, selection, grooming, production, management, marketing, reproduction, health and agribusiness careers. Both market hogs and breeding stock provide youth with an opportunity to learn more about the swine industry while gaining valuable life skills to help them succeed. In addition to local county events, statewide competitions and educational events are all possibilities as well. Youth can also learn more about their project by completing Youth Pork Quality Assurance Plus certification.

Livestock management is a part of Michigan’s important agricultural industry, which is vital to the state’s economy and future prosperity. Participating in a 4-H swine project could set you on the path to an excellent career in agriculture.

Sheep

Wonder what makes sheep’s wool so warm?

4-H livestock projects, including sheep, provide great opportunities for youth to learn about animal and veterinary science, as well as animal production practices while gaining valuable life skills such as responsibility and record-keeping.

4-H youth will feed, train, show and care for sheep project animals as they learn about sheep breeds, selection, grooming, production, management, marketing, reproduction, health and agribusiness careers. Whether they raise a market lamb or breeding stock project, youth will learn more about the sheep industry while gaining valuable life skills to help them succeed. In addition to local county events, statewide competitions and educational events are all possibilities as well.

Livestock management is a part of Michigan’s important agricultural industry, which is vital to the state’s economy and future prosperity. Participating in a 4-H sheep project could set you on the path to an excellent career in agriculture.

Beef

Curious why you’d nose print a calf?

4-H livestock projects, including beef, provide great opportunities for youth to learn about animal and veterinary science, as well as animal production practices while gaining valuable life skills such as responsibility and record-keeping.

4-H youth will feed, train, show and care for beef cattle project animals as they learn about beef breeds, selection, grooming, production, management, marketing, reproduction, health and agribusiness careers. Youth can start their own herd with breeding cattle or raise a market animal that produces a meat product for human consumption. In addition to local county events, statewide competitions and educational events are all possibilities as well.

Livestock management is a part of Michigan’s important agricultural industry, which is vital to the state’s economy and future prosperity. Participating in a 4-H beef project could set you on the path to an excellent career in agriculture.

Life Skills

Want to develop skills that will impact your future?

Whether you’re showing an animal, shooting a bow, learning about legislation, building a robot or something else, Michigan 4-H has a lot to offer. While youth learn about their specific project area, they’re also learning something else: critical life skills that help them contribute to their communities now and in the future.

By using the experiential learning model to deliver its programs, Michigan 4-H utilizes a learn-by-doing approach that offers youth hands-on activities in which they develop life skills. The foundation for a lifetime of success, these crucial life skills include practical skills such as goal-setting, record-keeping and critical thinking, as well as personal and interpersonal skills such as leadership, teamwork, character, communication, self-esteem and responsibility.

Join the club! Explore all that 4-H has to offer and start building your life skills today!

Resources

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Volunteering

Interested in becoming a 4-H volunteer but have some questions of your own? Check out the FAQs below to learn more:

What are the steps to becoming a 4-H volunteer?

The 4-H program coordinator in the county you’ve selected will follow up with you about next steps in the volunteer enrollment process. This includes an application process where the program coordinator will get to know your interests and talents, as well as a background check.

How much time does it take to be a 4-H volunteer?

You can dedicate as much or as little time as you’d like to volunteering with 4-H: an hour, a week, a month or a year! Because there are so many options for giving your time—chaperone a 4-H event, lead a club, offer a professional skills training, help at the fair, take kids to a 4-H workshop, become a mentor – there are many ways to volunteer. No matter your availability, there’s a 4-H volunteer opportunity waiting for you!

What if I don’t know all the answers? Are there resources to help?

4-H volunteers are trained and supported by knowledgeable MSU Extension professionals who are there to help them every step of the way. Volunteers also have access to a variety of MSU Extension resources, including instructive workshops, educational curricula, ready-to-use activities and content experts, all of which enable and prepare volunteers to make an impact on youth across the state. No matter the topic, you’ll get the help you need to answer whatever question is thrown your way.

4-H Tech Wizards

Want to explore science and technology with an adult mentor?

This program offers small-group mentoring experiences with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEAM) skills. In addition to building positive relationships with their mentors, young people learn about STEM topics such as robotics, video editing and rocketry. They apply what they learn by conducting a service project of their choice.

News

News

With a wide variety of programming and more than 200,000 participants throughout the state, the news, stories and updates from Michigan 4-H Youth Development are ever-growing! Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find the information in one of four helpful topic areas:

Profiles of Michigan 4-H members, stories about individual projects and programs, and highlights from Michigan 4-H events. See Revolution of Responsibility stories from local 4-H’ers, read articles about community impact or catch an event recap here!

Keep up-to-date with upcoming 4-H events, latest 4-H program information, and available 4-H resources with the Michigan 4-H Today enewsletter. Created on a bi-monthly basis, these newsletters include Michigan 4-H Today stories, highlights of events and programs, and a look ahead at upcoming workshops, awards, programs and more.

Michigan State University Extension educators share their knowledge and expertise through online news articles every day. Among these are articles from 4-H Extension educators, who offer tips and training on everything from animal science projects to art exploration, engineering to environmental education, and leadership to life skills. Youth, volunteers and parents alike will benefit from this helpful information.

The most up-to-date information on statewide 4-H programming, including open registrations, upcoming statewide events, and other key Michigan 4-H information. Keep up on the latest news happening across the state with these 4-H press releases. Members of the media: feel free to use and reprint this information at will.

Support

Support

More than 200,000 young people participate in Michigan 4-H Youth Development programming each year and countless others are impacted by 4-H. As a result of their engagement with the program, young people are better prepared for a lifetime of success through the development of critical life skills, civic leadership and academic excellence.

How to give to 4-H

Want to give back to 4-H? You, your family, organization, company or corporation can support this crucial program and ensure Michigan 4-H Youth Development continues to improve the lives of youth each year. Consider giving the gift of your time as a Michigan 4-H volunteer or making a monetary donation through the Michigan 4-H Foundation. DONATE NOW!

How to receive support

Looking for a grant for your 4-H club or program? The Michigan 4-H Foundation annually offers competitive grant funds to encourage development of innovative 4-H program opportunities in local communities. These grants are designed to encourage program planning and participation by 4-H members and volunteers in partnership with county MSU Extension 4‑H program staff members. Click here to view a list of grant offerings and apply.

4-H Animal & Veterinary Science Camp

4-H Animal & Veterinary Science Camp

Date: June 15-19, 2015Location: MSU Campus, East Lansing MI

Michigan 4-H Animal and Veterinary Science Camp is for youth who are interested in exploring animal and veterinary science related projects and activities. Participants must be ages 13 to16 as of January 1, 2015.

This five-day pre-college program held at Michigan State University (MSU) is a partnership with the Michigan 4-H Youth Development, MSU Department of Animal Science and MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. Youth will explore fields relating to animal and veterinary medicine as well as participate in numerous hands-on learning activities. Participants will also gain animal handling experience while having the opportunity to visit and explore MSU farms and facilities. Throughout the week, teens will work their way through a veterinary science case study as a team and create a presentation to be critiqued by veterinarians. This is a fun and interactive camp that will allow youth to conduct activities, ask questions and problem-solve. Additionally, this camp will help youth explore various animal-related career fields while reflecting on their experiences and community programs.

How do I apply? Youth ages 13 to 16 will need to complete the 2015 Michigan 4-H Animal and Veterinary Science Camp Application Packet and submit it by April 17. Space is limited! Campers will be selected on the basis of their applications.

Questions?Please contact Julie Thelen at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or at 517-432-1626.

What is the cost? The cost to attend this five-day camp is just $300 ($310 for youth who are not 4-H members) and includes all meals, transportation to field trips, lodging and materials.

Additional DetailsAdditional information and details about the Michigan 4-H Animal and Veterinary Science Camp can be found in the Program Handbook or in the Promotional Flyer.

Extension 4-H Articles

Counties

4-H Renewable Energy Camp

4-H Renewable Energy Camp 2015

Date: July 6-10, 2015Location: MSU Campus, East Lansing, MI

Explore how Michigan’s abundant natural resources and growing agriculture industry are changing the face of energy and what it means to your family, Michigan and the world!

Michigan 4-H Renewable Energy Camp is a five-day exploration camp held at Michigan State University for youth ages 13-19. Campers will explore ideas, research and opportunities in the field of energy as it relates to natural resources and agriculture.

4-H Renewable Energy campers will stay in a campus dorm and experience campus life, enjoying a mix of recreational opportunities and learning experiences that may include:

Tours of on-campus labs – See cutting-edge research centered on turning biomass into biofuel. Learn about brand new ideas and technologies that will play a significant role in our energy future.

Kellogg Biological Station – Participate in hands-on research of a new biofuel crop and discuss water quality/quantity needs, greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable production practices.

Net Zero home – Tour a home that generates as much energy as it uses and learn the technology that may shape homes of the future.

Carbon Green Bioenergy – Watch this facility turn 50,000 bushels of corn into 135,000 gallons of ethanol – every day. Participants will not only see how it’s done, but help them do it!

Wind Farm – See an operating wind farm and learn how much energy they can generate and how wind can impact our future.

MSU Power Plant – Tour the Power Plant and see how conventional and alternative energy sources are being used to power the university.

4-H Renewable Energy campers will also conduct their own experiments and create their own biofuel!

To learn about the outcomes and impacts this camp has on young people review the one-page 2014 Impact Summary.

FAQ

4-H Exploration Days

Frequently Asked Questions

(& Answers!)

Your county 4-H staff is available to answer any questions you may have but you may also find the answers to your questions here. You may wish to check back occasionally since we’ll add to this section as new questions are raised.

Bicycle UseQ: Are we allowed to bring bikes to campus for 4-H Exploration Days?A: Yes! Bikes are welcome on campus but require a special 4-H tag which you need to get at the time of check-in. (Be sure to ask for one.) Without the 4-H bike tag, you risk your bike being impounded.

Q: Where do I store my bike when I’m not using it? A: Lock your bike to a campus bike rack whenever it’s not in use. Bike racks are outside the residence halls and all other campus buildings. You must bring your own lock – and be sure to use it to prevent your bike from being stolen. You may also store your bike in your room (as long as it’s okay with your roommate).

Cancellation PolicyQ: What if I need to cancel because of illness or a family emergency? A: If you need to cancel for any reason, notify your county MSU Extension 4‑H staff as soon as possible. Be sure to provide the full name of the person cancelling and the date of cancellation. Early arrival fees, session fees and scholarship credits do not apply to cancellations and no-show fees. The refund policy is listed in the registration book.

ChaperonesQ: What are the requirements to be a chaperone? Do chaperones need to be age 21 or older? A: All adults housed with county delegations at 4-H Exploration Days must have gone through the background checks required by the MSU Extension Volunteer Selection Process. Chaperones for any Michigan 4-H overnight program must be age 21 or older, this includes county conference assistants (CCAs) who serve as the “head chaperone” for their county. The job descriptions for all adult roles at 4-H Exploration Days can be found at http://4h.msue.msu.edu/events/4-h_exploration_days/responsibilities.

Q: Can an adult serve as a chaperone to youth from a different county? A: Possibly – if the 4-H program coordinators of the counties involved have arranged for “multi-county housing.” All counties are expected to provide one chaperone for every 10 youth of the same gender. Sometimes 4-H staff with small delegations work out sharing arrangements of their adults in order to provide adequate chaperone coverage. Arrangements for “multi-county housing” must be made before counties are assigned space within a residence hall to ensure that the affected county delegations are housed next to each other. Once housing assignments are made, it’s too late to arrange this unless the affected counties already happen to be housed next to each (i.e., same dorm, same floor).

Q: What if a county has youth participants enrolled, but no chaperones? A: If county 4-H staff are unable to identify their needed number of chaperones from within their own county near the end of registration, they should seek another county to provide chaperone coverage by consolidating together as a “multi-county housing group.” Collectively these counties must still meet the 1:10 adult/youth ratio. All multi-county housing groups must be determined by the time counties send in their completed “Housing Count Forms” to the State 4-H office which are due soon after registration ends.

Q: Can an adult leave the conference for one evening for a prior commitment? A: This is discouraged but may be possible depending on a number of factors. The county staff, county conference assistant and other county chaperones must agree that they have adequate coverage during that chaperone’s absence. Another adult must be designated as the temporary substitute. The youth that are assigned to that chaperone must be informed of the temporary change in their chaperone assignment. The absence and substitute information needs to be noted on the absent chaperone’s Whereabouts Sheet posted on their housing room door.

Q: I have to take time off work to chaperone for Exploration Days. Will there be Wi-Fi at the residence halls so I can keep up with my responsibilities back at the office? A: Yes, there will be wireless-internet in the main lobby of each residence hall, but only 20% of the individual dorm rooms have coverage. Please reference the wireless map that shows the availability of Wi-Fi in the MSU buildings.

Q: If I need to send a fax back home during the event, where can I do this? A: There is not a fax machine available for use in the residence halls. However, the State Children & Youth Institute/4-H office located across campus in the Morrill Hall of Agriculture has a fax machine you can use – but you have to get there between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. A scanner is also available at the State 4-H office if needed.

BehaviorQ: Is there a dress code for the participants while on campus? A: Yes. It states, “Participants should dress casually, but neatly and respectably. Unacceptable attire includes clothing that exposes undergarments or excessively exposes the body (such as cropped, low-cut or extremely tight shirts, tube tops, short shorts, excessively baggy or extreme low-rise pants).” You can find the entire dress code in the back of the registration book under the 4-H Exploration Days Code of Conduct.

Early ArrivalsQ: Is it possible to arrive the night before?A: Early arrival arrangements can be made for long distance delegations (primarily U.P. counties) and counties who have participants bicycling to the event as an organized county 4-H activity. These groups come early as part of an organized and supervised county group. The early arrival option is not listed on the paper registration form; these counties pre-determine their arrival plans and check the early arrival box on the electronic registration form submitted by county 4-H staff. The county must provide same sex chaperone supervision for Tuesday arrivals the same as they do for the rest of the conference. There are no 4-H Exploration Days activities offered for early arrivals. Early arrival check-in is 4-5 p.m. for county delegations biking in; 5-9 p.m. for everyone else. There is an added cost to cover lodging on Tuesday and breakfast on Wednesday.

Q: If we said we are coming in on Wednesday morning, can we still come in Tuesday if we change our mind?A: Yes, if you change your registration ahead of time and live a long distance from MSUand have Tuesday evening same gender chaperone arrangements made for all early arriving youth. Please let your county know and have them email the change to the event registration secretary. Remember, there is no Tuesday food service at the dorms, no planned activities, and an added fee for Tuesday lodging and Wednesday breakfast.

Q: Our delegation is traveling from the Upper Peninsula and needs to arrive on Tuesday night because of the long distance. How late can we get there for check in on Tuesday?A: All early arrivals must arrive by 9 p.m. At 9 p.m. early arrival check-in will close so the event headquarters staff can update the database and prepare for Wednesday arrivals.

Health Care Q: Will the participants have access to a nurse or health care more than just first-aid while they are at 4-H Exploration Days? A: Yes, a Nurse’s Station is located in an apartment in one of the residence halls. The exact location will be listed in the event Activity Guide. The Nurse’s Station is staffed at all times from 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday until 1:30 p.m. on Friday. If a participant becomes ill or injured, they can notify their CCA and county staff, then report to the nurse. If medical care is needed beyond what the event nurse can provide, the patient will be taken to a medical facility. The cost will be billed to the family or their insurance. Some counties purchase special insurance for their county delegation to defray medical costs. Check with your county 4-H program coordinator to see if this is done in your county.

Q: My child has severe allergies and carries an epi-pen. Is that a problem at 4-H Exploration Days? A: Anyone who needs an epi-pen must provide their own and administer it themselves. That said, the participant is urged to say to the adults they’re with something like “If I have an allergy attack I’ll need my epi-pen injection immediately. Here’s where I’ll be keeping it. I’d appreciate your assistance with making sure I get it out quickly and assist me in keeping my hand steady during the injection if needed. It can go through my clothes and the needle needs to be fully injected so I get the entire dosage. 911 will also need to be called ASAP.”

HousingQ: Can a youth register as part of one county delegation but be housed with another county? A: No. Youth and chaperones must be housed with the county delegation that submitted their registration and payment.

Q: Can I request a roommate for Exploration Days? What if they are from a different county? A: Roommate assignments are made at the county level in early June, usually at the pre-event county orientation meeting. Let your county staff know you have someone you’d like to room with. Unfortunately, you cannot request to room with someone from another county. Everyone must be housed with the county delegation that submitted their registration and payment.

Q: Can my child room with an adult chaperone? A: An adult chaperone may share a room with unrelated youth if there is at least one other child assigned to the room as well. No child that is unrelated to an adult chaperone will share a room alone with an adult. Parents should have reviewed and signed the “Overnight Housing Permission Form” included in the registration book. If the form is not signed, the child will be put in a room only with other youth under age 18. Each chaperone has been through the MSU Extension Volunteer Selection Process and has completed a background check.

Q: My child has the opportunity to stay with a family member off-campus during Exploration Days. Is it possible to commute? A: No, there is not a commuter option available for Exploration Days.

Q: Our entire family is attending. Can we arrange to be housed together?A: Family members can be housed together only if they are the same gender. Males and females are housed on separate floors and usually on different sides or wings of the residence hall.

Q: How strict are the rules about keeping boys off the girl’s floor and girls off the boy’s floor? Are exceptions ever made? A: Males and females should not be on each other’s housing floors with only one possible exception with close supervision. Some counties may need to hold the county meeting they have shortly after Wednesday check-in in a study lounge on a housing floor due to meeting space shortages in the dorm’s common areas. Counties that are assigned meeting room space on a housing floor should have a chaperone gather their participants of the opposite gender in the lobby and escort them to and from the housing floor study lounge where the entire county delegation will meet.

Q: Do the dorms have air conditioning?A: No they do not. You may want to bring a fan to help out with the heat if the weather is warm and encourage others to do the same.

Late ArrivalsQ: What happens if someone arrives late?A: Late arrivals begin check-in at their hall’s 4-H Information Center then proceed to the hall reception desk on the side of the hall to which they are assigned. The location of each residence hall’s 4-H Information Center is listed in the 4-H Exploration Days Activity Guide. The activity guide will be posted on the Exploration Days web site in late May.

Media Release FormQ: I’m uncomfortable with my child being photographed. Do I have to sign the media release form? A: We urge you to reconsider since the photos/video shot at the conference will only be used for promotional purposes and participants are not identified by name. If you still don’t want to sign the form, please make sure to indicate that you have read it and you are choosing not to sign it so staff will know that you didn’t miss it accidentally. Please note that it will be up to your child to avoid being in camera shots.

Medication Use and How to AdministerQ: What if a participant needs to take medication during the event? How are medications are administered and by whom?A: For all MSUE programs that are not state licensed camps, program participants are expected to discretely store and administer their own medications privately. If a medicine requires refrigeration, this need should be brought to the attention of the program coordinator with sufficient lead time to investigate the possibility of accommodating the need for refrigeration. (For programs that include overnight housing in MSU residence halls, single serving over-the-counter medications such as Advil, Tylenol, Pepto-Bismol are available for sale in the residence hall snack shop.)

OrientationQ: My son/daughter missed the county pre-event orientation meeting for Exploration Days. What should we do? A: Check with your county office. Sometimes larger counties will offer more than one orientation. If not, you’ll need to discuss and agree on other make up arrangements. It is very important that each participant go through a county-based orientation before 4-H Exploration Days.

ParkingQ: Where do people park their cars at Exploration Days? Is parking different for instructors and chaperones? A: Lot 91, south of Hubbard Hall past the railroad tracks, is available at no cost to everyone involved in 4-H Exploration Days. (It will be shown on the Activity Guide map available in late May.) You can unload your luggage at the dorm where you’ll be housed and then move your car to the free lot. Unless you’re an instructor who is hauling supplies to and from your session classroom, you should not need your car during the event.

Instructors who need to transport supplies and have sessions located outside of the residence halls will be provided with complimentary parking permits for a small number of designated parking lots nearer their classroom than Lot 91.

Q: Does a vehicle with a disabled placard or plate still need an MSU parking permit to park on campus? A: As long as the disabled placard (or plate) is current and valid, the vehicle may park in any handicap space on campus without a conference permit. If the vehicle is parked in a designated disabled metered space then the meter must be fed and a current and valid disabled placard or plate must be displayed.

SessionsQ: How do I know if the sessions my child wants to sign up for will be age appropriate? A: While most of the sessions at 4-H Exploration Days are geared towards the 11-19 age group, some are more suitable for a narrower age range. Age appropriateness is listed at the end of each session description in the registration book. Look there for any age restrictions and make sure that all session choices written on the registration form are open to youth that are your child’s age.

Q: How do participants find out their session assignments?A: The county 4-H staff are notified of each session assignment the day after the registration is submitted. When and how each county 4-H staff notifies their participants varies from county to county. This information will be provided at the county’s pre-event orientation meeting if not before then. At the pre-event orientation meeting, participants will complete a Personal Data Sheet that lists their session assignments. If there have been any changes to a session assignment since the initial registration, the new session information should be provided and listed on the sheet.

Q: If a session is cancelled, how are reassignments made? And how are participants notified? A: At the end of registration, the 4-H Explorations Days staff may cancel sessions with low enrollment. Anyone displaced from a cancelled session will be reassigned to one of their other session choices when possible. (If new session choices must be made, your county 4-H staff will be asked to obtain more choices from the participant and relay the new choices back to the event registration secretary.) Once a session reassignment is made, the county office will receive an email informing them of the change. The county 4-H staff then need to pass on the cancellation and reassignment information to the participant.

Session Field TripsQ: My session goes on a field trip. Where do I meet the bus? A: If your session is going on a field trip, look for the field trip bus loading site on your Activity Guide map designated by an “F.” All field trips will leave from this location at the scheduled session starting time unless a different departure time or location is listed in the Activity Guide. Arrive at the field trip bus loading area 15 to 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time of your session. Once your bus leaves, there is no other way for you to get to your session.

Shuttle BusesQ: Will there be shuttle buses available during 4-H Exploration Days? Can all participants use the system? A: Only three 4-H Exploration Days shuttle buses are available to help get participants to the other side of campus. These buses, identified by green “4-H” signs, can only transport a small percentage of everyone at the conference so please walk as much possible! While it may seem convenient to hop on a bus to get to class, remember it will be very crowded and the wait for a bus may be longer than the amount of time it’d take you to walk!

The shuttle route is shown on the campus map in the center of the Activity Guide. Shuttle buses will stop at each place designated on the map by a circled number. These are the only locations where you will be able to get on and off shuttle buses.

During swimming times, one or two of the regular shuttle buses will switch to drive the Swim Bus Shuttle loop to take participants directly to and from the pool.

Special Needs

Q: How are accommodations handled for a special needs participant?A: A buddy system is used for disabled or other special needs participants who need extra support or assistance to have a positive learning experience at 4-H Exploration Days. A special needs participant must be accompanied by a same-sex adult or older teen “buddy” who is able to address those special needs. The buddy must accompany the special needs participant to the event, attend the same session and serve as his or her roommate. They will stay together during the entire conference (meals, sessions, free time activities, etc.).

Q: I have a specific diet restriction. Where can I request special dietary needs? A: At the time you submit your registration, please be sure to describe your dietary needs in the space provided on the registration form. The information you submit will be provided to the culinary staff after county residence hall assignments are made. Because there are a wide variety entrees and side dish choices to choose from at each meal, most people with special dietary needs can make selections that fit their needs without making any special arrangements. Look for the menu on the What’s New 4-H Exploration Days web page. Those that have dietary needs that require special arrangements will be put in touch with the MSU chef assigned oversight for Exploration Days to ensure that their needs are accommodated.

Q: How is lunch accommodated for someone with a dietary restriction who is assigned to a session with an all-day field trip that gets box lunches? A: We review the class lists of sessions getting box lunches to see if anyone who noted a special dietary need on their registration form is assigned to any of those sessions. If so, we give this information to the food service staff that makes the box lunches. They will make a different lunch for that participant and label it with his/her name on it. This is only food provided as part of the session. In the off chance someone else brings their own snack and offers to share, the participant with the dietary restriction should decline.

Q: What services are available to those with mobility limitations? A: The MSU buses used for the campus shuttle and county, school and commercial buses used for session field trips are not wheelchair accessible.

CATA (the local bus service) offers a service called “Spec-Tran” for a fee. They operate from 5:45 a.m. to10:30 p.m. during the week. You can call the RCPD Office (Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities) to set up a ride. Their office number is 517-353-9642. CATA and the RCPD office will work with the child to set her up with a “temporary pass” to be able to access the services. Once she has her temporary pass, she will be able to work with the RCPD office to set up a schedule of when she needs rides. All rides must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance, two weeks prior being the earliest available to set up a schedule.

Q: My child is on a special medication that requires refrigeration. How can this be accommodated?A: Under the unique circumstance that a participant needs to bring a medication that requires refrigeration, arrangements can be made to place a dorm-sized refrigerator in the room. After county housing assignments are made, the county 4-H staff should contact the Exploration Days coordinator to provide the room number and name of the participant with the refrigerated medication need.

Q: My child has medication to take during 4-H Exploration Days, who’ll make sure she takes it?A: It is the responsibility of your child to make sure they take the medication at the appropriate time in the correct dosage. You can alert their chaperone and ask that they remind her, but ultimately the child needs to manage this on her own.

ToursQ: Tours of some campus facilities are available during recreation time. How do I get to one of those? A: Follow the directions in the Activity Guide. If it’s far enough away to need bus transportation, meet the tour bus at the Tour Bus Loading Site shown in your Activity Guide. Note: this will be a different spot than the Field Trip Loading Site.

4-H State Shooting Sports Tournament

Michigan 4-H State Shooting Sports Tournament

“4-H State Shoot”

This annual event provides Michigan 4-H shooting sports members with the opportunity to test their skills and earn recognition with other 4-H members from all over the state.

Tournament Rules, Information & Registration Forms

County staff must have all registrations entered on-line by Wednesday, July 15, 2015. Therefore, participants MUST have their registration forms and payment into their County 4-H Office by the date set for their County prior to July 1, 2015.

Registration fee is $20/youth participant.

Registration confirmation will be sent to the email address entered on the competitors’ registration. It is the competitor’s responsibility to make sure they check their email to confirm they are registered for the correct event. No changes will be made after Friday, July 17th, 2015.

Competitor/Equipment check-in and shooting times will vary depending on the range and event.

Check-In Times for Ranges: See Relay/Squad page

Volunteer check-in will occur at the range to which you’ve been assigned. If you are unable to fulfill your assigned volunteer job, YOU are responsible for finding a replacement. Notify the range event coordinators of any substitutions upon check in. Awards will be presented on site approximately one hour after all events have finished.

Frequently Asked Questions

4-H State Shooting Sports Tournament

Frequently asked questions about the State Shoot

How is the location and date selected for the tournament?

The location of the tournament is determined by which clubs are willing to host, and also have the necessary range space and configuration, headquarters, and (most importantly) parking to accommodate the 500 competitors and 2500 spectators and volunteers. The date is based on availability in the host club’s calendar.

Why are individual scores combined for team totals?

Participation in the tournament has more than tripled in the last six years (507 participants in 2012), and is approaching the point where we needed to either reformat the event or drastically reduce the number of participants. We are simply running out of time and space! We want to give as many youth the opportunity to participate in the tournament as possible, so we chose to follow the National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational procedure of combining individual scores for team totals, which allowed us to not only increase the number of total participants, but in many cases, increase the course of fire allowing competitors to shoot more during the event.

Why can’t team members stand next to each other on the firing line?

This is also a procedure we adopted from the national 4-H tournament. Event coordinators use a random selection process to assign shooters to relays and squads. Having team members shoot at different times of the day helps reduce the influence of factors that change throughout the day (temperature, wind, angle of the sun, rain, fatigue) on team scores. In other words, it helps ‘level the playing field’ for things we can’t control. More importantly, the state shoot is a time and place to meet, talk to and learn from 4-H members and volunteers who you don’t see on a regular basis. It’s an opportunity to expand your group 4-H friends from a community or county to a statewide network. Preparing for and traveling to the tournament nurtures existing relationships; talking with and learning from new folks at the tournament helps build new ones.

Why are there no spectators on the 3-D archery course?

Safety is the number one reason spectators are not allowed on the 3-D course. With 4-5 shooters on a squad, there is simply no room for the 20-40 spectators per squad to watch from a safe distance. As the trails are narrow, uneven and sometimes sloping, we want to reduce the chance of tripping, falling, and other accidents as much as possible while the youth navigate the course with their bows and arrows. Another issue is the more secluded nature of this sport makes it harder to enforce the ‘no coaching’ rules. This is a great event for more experienced 4-H archers to build their character and self esteem, and practice responsibility and problem solving. However, it is hard for them to do that when their coaches/parents are using this time to coach and parent, rather than quietly observe. Luckily, there are plenty of volunteer jobs available so parents and coaches can stay occupied while their members compete!

The focus of 4-H Shooting Sports, and all 4-H programs, is youth development. Our goal is to help youth develop life skills to be healthy individuals, achieve academic success and be prepared for the workforce; we just so happen to do that (in this case) through the shooting sports. We work hard to ensure the physical and emotional safety of 4-H members and their families. One way we do this is making sure we use all the safety measures (eye and ear protection, appropriate footwear, other protective equipment) to which we have access.

Why are certain shooting accessories used in the tournaments of competitive shooting organizations prohibited here?

Again, this comes down to our goal of youth development and providing a safe environment. The goal of other shooting organizations is often to increase the number of people in their sports and to develop highly competitive athletes. In 4-H, we focus on the foundations of shooting sports in order to help youth develop responsibility, decision-making, self esteem, and other life skills. Some 4-H members reach a level in their sport where they become focused more on their skill as a competitive shooter. This is often when they start using highly technical (and often expensive) gear/accessories that are not necessary for the course of fire and distances we shoot in this tournament, and can be unsafe in the hands of less experienced shooters. When shooters reach this level of achievement in their sport, they might consider shooting with an organization whose focus is on the competition and development of athletes. They can continue growing as a 4-H member by becoming a teen or adult leader, helping other 4-Hers gain life skills through the shooting sports.

Science Blast

Need help teaching science in your classroom?

As Michigan looks to cre­ate a new generation of leaders, science must be at the forefront. The Science Blast in the Class curriculum was developed as part of MSU Extension’s “I Know MI Numbers” initiative to enhance science literacy and serve as a “go-to” resource both inside and out­side the traditional classroom. It offers educators the opportunity to connect in-school learning with real-world experiences.

Science Blast in the Class is a great resource for teachers in the classroom, those working in after-school programs or as part of a club. The guide includes 13 hands-on lessons in topics including Animal Science, Environmental Science and Plant Science, as well as a wealth of support material that educators can utilize to enrich the science learning process.

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Some of the lessons are being used in this summer and fall’s “I Know MI Numbers” Science Blast activities, where thousands of youth throughout Michigan are engaging in fun, hands-on science activities.

The lessons found in the Science Blast in the Class handbook are benchmarked according to the latest Michigan High School Content Expectations and/or Grade Level Content Expectations, as appropriate. While each lesson includes suggested grade levels, many lessons are appropriate for teaching or reteaching concepts to older and younger youth.

Science Process

The science process is something we do every day – we just don’t stop to think about it. Students will learn the steps of the science process, understand the “shape” of science and realize how relevant science is to their daily lives.

Animal Science

Students love animals, whether it’s the small pet at home or the big giraffe at the zoo. The Animal Science section of Science Blast in the Class helps students what makes animals different and the role genetics play, understand disease transmission and control, and understand how animals use their sense for survival and reproduction.

Environmental Science

Michigan is home to some of the greatest natural resources in the world. Science Blast in the Class offers several lessons that enhance students’ understanding and appreciation of the world around them. Learners will enhance skills in observation, inference, critical thinking and reasoning; learn how biofuels are made; learn the importance of adaptations in fish and other animals; learn how to identify different fish families; and understand the importance of water quality.

Plant Science

Plants are essential to life and the Science Blast in the Class Handbook will help students appreciate and understand plant science in a fun, hands-on way. Youth will learn the key components and functions of plants, growth, survival and reproduction; learn how to pick the best vegetables for their school or home gardens by using the scientific method; and understand some of the factors in photosynthesis and the connection between light and energy storage in plants.

Contact

For more information on Science Blast and Science Blast in the Class, contact Jake DeDecker, program leader for MSU Extension’s Children and Youth Institute, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 517-432-7604517-432-7604 or your county Extension office.

Post Acceptance Forms

Cost & How to Apply

4-H Great Lakes Natural Resources Camp

How Much Does Camp Cost?

The 2015 camper fee is $345 for Michigan 4-H members and $355 for Michigan youth who are nonmembers. The fee includes meals and snacks, lodging, a T-shirt, and program and activity fees. Donors to the Michigan 4-H Foundation, Michigan Sea Grant Extension and MSU Extension generously offset about 25 percent of the real $450-a-camper cost! Out-of-state campers will be accepted with a $450 fee if space is still available after May 1.

A limited number of state 4-H scholarships are offered for teens with financial need. 4-H members can also contact your county MSU Extension office to see if local scholarships may be available.

How To Apply

Camper applications are due by May 1, but space is limited so early application is encouraged. Do not send payment with your application. Space is limited to 70 campers so early application is recommended.

Counselor applications are due by March 10.

How Camper Selections Are Made

Returning campers (25-30 max)

New campers (40-45 max)

Gender balance (36 max for each gender)

4-H member/non 4-H youth ratio (non 4-H will be limited)

Geographical representation of campers from across state.

Successful applicants will receive more forms with their acceptance letters to complete and return with full payment by May 31, 2015. Beginning June 6, wait-listed applicants will be offered spaces forfeited by campers who failed to meet the deadline.

Refund and Cancellation Policy

Refunds for cancellations will be processed in the month after the cancellation is made. For example, a June cancellation refund will be processed in July.

Registration Information

4-H Exploration Days

Registration Information

Registration begins March 17. Registration and payment must be submitted through your county MSU Extension office only. If you need to obtain contact information for your county MSUE 4-H staff, visit: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/county/ and click on your county name. Registration through county MSUE offices is done to connect participants to their county 4-H staff since the local staff are responsible for scholarship allocation, identifying chaperones, making room assignments, and holding a pre-event orientation meeting.

Youth must be age 11 by January 1, of the year they wish to attend 4-H Exploration Days. As you select your session choices, be sure to watch for age restrictions! Age requirements for sessions are based on your age as of January 1 of the current year.

4-H Exploration Days registration goes from mid-March through April with session assignments made on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline for returning your registration form to your county MSU Extension office can vary from county to county (typically the end of April), but don’t wait—some sessions fill quickly on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registration Book

The 4-H Exploration Days Registration Book offers a complete listing of the sessions and details on the current year’s event. The online version is now available. Hard copies will be available from county offices the second week of March. NEW: Registration form is now in fillable format! First download & save as a PDF, then fill in, print & send it in.

Relays and Squads

Michigan 4-H State Shooting Sports Tournament

Relays and Squads

In order for the State Shoot to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible, competitors have been organized into relays and/or squads within events. Relays and squads are assigned randomly to avoid any advantage of one competitor or team over other, and also minimize the effect of changes throughout the day (wind, sun, heat, rain, fatigue, etc.) on team scores. While we understand the desire and some advantages of team members shooting together, we believe that reducing the weather variables and, more importantly, providing an opportunity for youth to meet, talk to, and compete next to new people from around the state provides a unique and valuable youth development opportunity.

Click on events below to see relays and squads for each event. Also note check-in and tentative shooting times for those events. Competitors not present for their check-in and shooting time may lose their opportunity to compete.

Relays and Squads will be posted below approximately one week before the tournament.

Volunteer Assignments:

Your involvement is critical to creating a safe and efficient event! You will be able to find your assignment organized alphabetically by county and last name on the 2015 Volunteer Assignments.

PLEASE check in at your assigned location at, or before, the designated time. If no time is designated, check in at least 15 minutes before the participant check-in starts. Range Officers will make specific assignments when you check in.

County Coordinators that indicated an event / range preference have been assigned. Please let the Range Officer know that you are a county coordinator so that they can give you an assignment that allows for some flexibility. Your county coordinator role takes precedence, but we need all the help we can get on the ranges.

If you are unable to fulfill your assigned duty, it is critical that you find a replacement and let the range officer know of the change.

Questions?

Do you need clarification about an event or rules? Please email your question to the appropriate person listed below, making sure to include a return email address and phone number where you can be contacted.

General Tournament Questions

Nick Baumgart - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Jeff Harthy – .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Rifle Events (BB, Air Rifle, .22)

Bob Richards - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Muzzleloading

Bruce and Lisa Sweet – .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Shotgun

Jim Moore – .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Target Archery

Chip Culbertson – .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

3-D Archery

Troy Reynolds - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Need a Mentor?

Looking for a caring adult to help guide your way?

What is a mentor?

A friend A mentor listens and gives thoughtful, caring advice and assistance.

A role model A mentor has had successful life experiences and is willing to share them.

A link to the community A mentor is knowledgeable about the community and is willing to research any information that is unknown to him or her. He or she will teach the young person how to access local resources.

Responsibilities of mentees in successful mentoring relationships

Mentees:

Respect mentors’ time, efforts and loyalty

Are committed to success

Share goals and expectations with mentors

Challenge themselves to tackle new projects and face their fears

Meet with their mentors on a regular basis

Michigan counties currently offering mentoring programs

New 4-H youth mentoring programs are being developed in counties across Michigan each year.

Other mentoring programs in Michigan

Michigan 4-H Youth Development strives to continue to develop and offer caring and supporting mentoring opportunities for youth in Michigan. Unfortunately, not every Michigan county currently is operating a 4-H mentoring program. If you are interested in enrolling your child in a county not currently operating a mentoring program, there are many other mentoring opportunities with other organizations in Michigan.

Visit Mentor Michigan to see a list of organizations offering mentoring opportunities in your area.

How to enroll

Enrollment procedures vary from county to county. Therefore, to enroll in a 4-H mentoring program in your county, contact the mentoring program coordinator in the county listed in “4-H Youth Mentoring Programs in Michigan.” He or she can provide you more information about enrollment for that specific program.

Prospective Mentors

Eager to help make a difference in the life of a child?

What to expect in a 4-H youth mentoring program

A mentor in a 4-H mentoring program can expect personal ongoing support, encouragement and guidance from 4-H staff as the mentoring relationship progresses. To make certain that both the mentee and the mentor are having a positive, life enriching experience, 4-H staff will conduct regular communication with the mentor, the mentee and the parent or guardian to discuss the match, problems and progress. Most 4-H programs typically expect a mentor to spend at least one hour each week with the mentee, with most of the programs lasting for at least one year. Many 4-H programs provide group activities, program recognition events and complimentary tickets to community events in which mentors and mentees may optionally participate. At the completion of the program, 4-H staff will support and assist in the closure of the mentoring relationship. It is the goal of 4-H staff both to see that youth develop and reach positive academic, career and personal goals through a successful mentorship, and also that the 4-H mentor gains personal fulfillment and self-development through contribution to the community and individual.

To learn more about specific expectations and goals in the 4-H mentoring program in your area, go to “4-H Youth Mentoring Programs in Michigan” in the Resources below and look for a county near you. Then press the link for contact information.

Mentor selection and criteria

Each 4-H mentoring program has its own eligibility criteria and policies for selecting and screening volunteers. To learn more about the requirements and selection procedures in your county, see “4-H Youth Mentoring Programs in Michigan.” Press the link for your county. Call and speak to the mentoring program coordinator.

A volunteer must:

Be willing to complete the county’s mentoring program application process

Be willing to complete the MSU Extension Volunteer Selection Process

Be willing to follow all program policies and procedures

Not falsify information during the course of the screening process

Not use illicit drugs

Not use alcohol or controlled substances in an excessive or inappropriate manner or while participating as a volunteer mentor

Listed below are possible application requirements: (For the actual application requirements for your county’s mentoring program, contact the mentoring program coordinator for your county on the 4-H Youth Mentoring Programs in Michigan resource.)

Application

MSU Extension Volunteer Selection Process (required)

Driving record

Copy of driver’s license

Interview

References

Confidentiality agreement

Mentor contract

Characteristics of a good mentor

Good mentors:

Are active listeners

Are patient and caring

Are flexible and open to new ideas

Have a good attitude

Are dependable and reliable

Set realistic and appropriate goals

Listen and accept guidance and feedback

Michigan counties currently offering mentoring progams

New 4-H mentoring programs are being developed in counties across Michigan each year. To see an updated listing of Michigan counties currently offering 4-H mentoring programs, see “4-H Youth Mentoring Programs in Michigan.”

Other mentoring programs in Michigan

Michigan 4-H Youth Development strives to continue to develop and offer caring and supportive mentoring opportunities for youth and volunteers in Michigan. Unfortunately, not every Michigan county currently operates a 4-H mentoring program. If you are a volunteer interested in becoming a mentor in a county not currently operating a mentoring program, there are many other mentoring opportunities with other organizations in Michigan. Visit Mentor Michigan to see a list of organizations offering mentoring opportunities in your area.

Jump Into Foods and Fitness

Interested in finding ways to be more active?

Welcome to Jump Into Foods and Fitness, where Jiff the Joey Kangaroo will teach you what he has learned about growing up strong and healthy by eating a balanced diet from the five food groups and getting plenty of physical activity. Jiff wants to be your guide through Jump Into Foods and Fitness, which is designed to help 8- to 11-year-olds learn about the following:

Pyramids for Health You’ll learn about how you can use the MyActivity Pyramid and the MyPyramid for Kids to discover the best foods and fitness activities for you.

Go the Distance With Grains Learn about the foods of the grain group by doing activities like the “Great Grain Obstacle Course” and make your own jump rope so you can hop, skip and jump your way to fitness.

High Five for Health Did you know that there are five kinds of fruits and vegetables? These super foods provide you with vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber – things that keep you healthy and strong. Learn more about these important parts of your daily diet and about ways to build your fitness through activities like the “Fitness Scavenger Hunt.”

Moooving and Motion In “Muscle Mania,” explore the 12 muscle groups that are important to keep you moving and active. You’ll also learn about the foods that provide the vitamins and proteins that help build and repair these muscles.

Power Up the Day: Learn how eating a nutritious breakfast gives you the energy you need to start your day right. Explore how morning fitness activities can give you even more power for your day!

On the Go When you’re on the go, snacks can provide the energy you need. You’ll learn about how you can create healthy snacks using the five food groups, and you discover “activity snacks” you can use to improve your fitness.

Choices for Good Health Learn to read the labels on foods so you can make your best nutrition choices. You’ll also design a game using your own fun movement activities.

Celebrating JIFF It’s a nutrition and fitness party! Celebrate what you’ve learned in JIFF by creating your own goals for future fitness and eating choices.

Through your time with JIFF, you’ll also learn about food safety, including the importance of washing your hands to “slam dunk germs” and the safest ways to store the foods you eat.

Want to Get Involved With JIFF?

JIFF Helps You Take Action!

After you have learned more about healthy and active living, you can put your ideas into action! Decide on one or two nutrition or physical activity goals to start this week and write them on a large sheet of paper. Decide with your family where you can put them so you will see them every day! JIFF the Joey Kangaroo sometimes keeps goal sheets on the refrigerator, bathroom mirror or at eye level on a door.

Now develop your JIFF Plan of Action to make your goals happen for you! Your actions may be dancing during TV commercials, trying new food choices, starting to jump rope or skate, or joining a sports team! Use the JIFF Eating and Physical Activity Goal Sheet to “jump start” into action!

Contact

B’Onko Sadler, Associate Program Leader Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Phone: 517-432-7618517-432-7618

Call

Send SMS

Add to Skype

You’ll need Skype CreditFree via Skype

Proud Equestrians Program

Want to explore how horses can be more than fun?

Sharing skills and knowledge is what the 4-H Proud Equestrians Program (PEP) is all about. Riders with disabilities and the volunteers who work with them can gain great satisfaction through this therapeutic horseback riding program.

With the help of trained and caring volunteers, riders can improve balance, coordination, posture and muscle tone. Horseback riding also increases self-esteem, self-confidence, discipline and social growth. But more importantly, riding is fun!

The Michigan 4-H Proud Equestrians Program was introduced in 1974 in partnership with Lida McCowan, executive director of the Cheff Center for the Handicapped, and with support from a three-year grant from the W.K. Kellogg and C.S. Mott Foundations. Today, this equestrian program reaches out to individuals with disabilities both young and old throughout Michigan, providing opportunities to learn to ride a horse and develop horsemanship skills.

How to get involved

The Michigan 4-H Proud Equestrians Program offers opportunities for people with and without disabilities to work together as:

Riders – Young people and adults with physical, developmental, emotional or multiple disabilities

Volunteers – Young people and adults who assist riders as needed until the riders develop the skills they need to ride independently

Instructors – People who teach riding, horsemanship and stable management skills; special certification as a therapeutic riding instructor for handicappers is required

Horse owners – The “heroes” of the program are the quiet, horses and ponies, trained to respond to the needs of riders with disabilities; owners of suitable animals who are willing to loan, lease or donate to their local program are always needed

The dates and times that programs are offered vary according to community needs and resources. Some programs meet once or twice a week for eight to ten weeks during spring and fall. Other classes meet only during summer, and some other programs meet year-round.

Veterinary Science

Think you want to be a vet one day?

Did you also know that Michigan State University has one of the best veterinary medicine programs in the world? MSU‘s veterinary medicine staff work closely with the Michigan 4-H Veterinary Science program at the state level to provide real-life scenarios and situations to bring science to life. Youth who learn about veterinary science at an early age have an advantage of later becoming a student in the veterinary medicine programs at MSU. Veterinary science covers medicine, animal health, disease transmitted to humans, animal management and feeding processes.

Even if becoming a veterinary isn’t your goal, there are still so many great reasons that participating in a 4-H veterinary science project could be right for you. In a 4-H veterinary science project, you can explore the broad scope of veterinary medicine and animal health. You’ll also learn how animal management and feeding affect animal health while also learning valuable life skills.

Contact

Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Phone: 517-432-1626

Money Management

Want to learn how you can pay for college?

How can youth learn to obtain the funds they really want? Money Management programs can teach youth how to earn, save and invest all of their money.

Knowing how to handle money will have a lasting impact on youth and their future. It can be the difference between:

Having $1,000 and $1,000,000

A future of debt of a future of profit

The panic of living paycheck to paycheck or realization of your dreams and goals

Learning the basics of personal finance as a youth is a positive step toward a successful financial future. The resources below offer information, activities, tools and an opportunity to engage in the learning process.

Contact

Awards/Scholarships

4-H Scholarships and Recognition Program

4-H Scholarships

Aside from the benefits you get just from being in 4-H, you may also have opportunities to earn scholarships for college as a result of your 4-H participation. 4-H Scholarships gives you the details on what’s available, eligibility requirements and how to apply.

4-H Recognition Program

Whether you are a youth participant or a 4-H volunteer, there are many opportunities to be recognized for your good work in 4-H, whether with a certificate, plaque, medal or cash award. 4-H Recognition Program tells you the ways you may be recognized, what’s necessary to be eligible and how to apply, if necessary.

Post-Conference Activities

4-H Capitol Experience

As a participant at Michigan State University Extension’s 4-H Capitol Experience Program, you learned about a current policy issue and about how policy decisions are made. You had an opportunity to examine a selected issue from a variety of viewpoints. You talked with people who influence policies, including lobbyists, state agencies personnel, representatives of local organizations, legislative aides and legislators.

Post-Event Resource Materials

The post-conference resources listed below are available in Adobe PDF format and may be photocopied for distribution. For example, you could use them with 4-H leadership groups or other 4-H meetings, as you work on an issue in your local community, with a church or civic group or as part of a classroom project.

Citizen’s Guide to State Government A reference tool that includes information on the Three Branches of Michigan State Government, Michigan House of Representatives and Michigan Senate Directories and the Michigan Senate and House Legislative Committees.

Pre-Conference Activities

4-H Capitol Experience

Pre-Conference Activities: Before You Come to 4-H Capitol Experience

What is a pre-conference activity? Why is it necessary?

As a participant in 4-H Capitol Experience, you are asked to complete at least one pre-conference activity from the list of options. These activities are designed to help you learn about local government in your community so that you can:

Better understand the similarities and differences between the workings of state and local governments.

Recognize the connections on certain issues between the state and local levels (such as school funding).

Collect some information that will be useful for local programs and projects after you have returned from Capitol Experience.

Obtain background information that may be helpful as you talk to policymakers in Lansing.

How can you conduct a pre-conference activity?

Select an option (listed below) that interests you. If you need some help in choosing an activity or in deciding how to proceed, talk with your local 4-H staff, leader, or teacher. Use the “A General Overview of Local Governments in Michigan” section of this page as background concerning the different types of local governments.

After selecting your option, carefully plan out the steps needed to gather the necessary information. Who do you need to contact? What questions should you ask? It isn’t necessary to write a report on what you discover, but it is important to make a few notes. There will be some opportunities for sharing that information at Capitol Experience and it will help you carry out a project after Capitol Experience.

Examples of pre-conference activities

Select at least one of the following options:

1. Learn about the responsibilities of elected officials.Talk to one or two elected officials in your community,such as – mayor, county commissioner, city council member, and township board member. A few of the questions you might ask to help you better understand one of these units of government include:

What are some of the specific responsibilities of the position?

What are some of the services and programs that unit provides to its citizens?

What is the largest challenge or most difficult problem currently facing that unit of government and that elected official?

Does that official have much contact with the state legislators and/or other state policymakers (for example, someone from the Department of Natural Resources)?

Why would a village want to become a city? What are the benefits?

2. Follow a local issue.Read your local newspaper carefully to help you follow an issue of current concern. (Keeping a clipping file might be helpful. Be sure to bring it with you to Capitol Experience.) Talk to family members and your friends about their opinions on the issue.

Some of the issues of concern in local communities might include:

Location of a landfill

Location of a halfway house

Residential treatment for the mental health system

School funding

Funding for certain local programs

Michigan’s economy

Local evacuation plans for the disabled or residents without private transportation.

After you have followed the issue for a while, has your opinion changed?

Do you see any ways that you might share your opinions on these issues with the local government officials that are dealing with it?

3. Attend a city council, township board or county commission meeting. Call the city or township clerk to find out the meeting schedule. (You can find this telephone number in the white pages under your local government listing.) These are public meetings so all citizens are welcome to attend and simply observe the proceedings. A few suggestions as you watch the meeting include:

Can you figure out who some of the people are that are at this meeting – both as officials at the meeting and as members of the audience? What are some of their responsibilities?

What types of issues are being discussed at the meeting?

Are there any examples of citizens being actively involved with the decisions being made by the township board? (For example, a citizen might be giving testimony, writing letters, or otherwise actively participating in the process.)

How does the issue affect young people in your community?

4. Attend a school board meeting. Call your local school superintendent’s office to learn the location and date of the next meeting. These are also public meetings where observers are welcome. A few suggestions as you watch the meeting include:

What issue or issues seem of major concern at the present time? Can you describe some of the different viewpoints on that issue?

Is there any reference to state government as some of these issues are discussed? How?

Are there any examples of citizens involved with the decisions being made by the school board? (For example, a citizen might be giving testimony, writing letters, or otherwise actively participating in the process.)

5. Familiarize yourself with your state senator or representative’s committee assignments. Learn more about State Government by reading the Citizen’s Guide to State Governmentfrom the Michigan Legislature website. In addition to writing your legislators about Capitol Experience, contact them (either directly or through their staff) to find out about their committee assignments in the Michigan Senate or House. Questions you might want to ask include:

What do these committees do?

What bills are these committees currently addressing?

Who are the chairpersons of these committees? Where are they from?

6. Investigate the effect of a petition.

How do petitions influence the policy making process on the local level?

Who decides the wording of a petition? How many signatures are required?

Find examples of petition drives that have affected your community.

Where do you submit petitions?

7. Tour a jail and/or juvenile detention facility.Be sure to call ahead to schedule an appointment for your tour. Some of the questions you might ask include:

How does the length of sentences vary for different crimes?

Are prison sentences for juvenile and adult offenders different? If so, how do they differ?

If a juvenile is charged with a crime, where are they housed in the county?

What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?

8. Visit a court session and observe what takes place. Several different levels of the judicial system are open to the public.(District and Circuit courts are the most familiar. Probate Court, the Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court are the others.) Call your Circuit Court or District Court administrator to find out the court schedule. (You can find this telephone number in the white pages under your local government listing.) A few suggestions as you watch the meeting include:

Can you figure out who some of the people are in the courtroom? What are their roles and responsibilities?

Who determines the defendant’s sentence – the judge or a jury? If there is a jury, how did the jurors get selected?

Who provides testimony?

9. Compare different forms of taxation by interviewing government officials. Taxation comes in many different forms including taxes on county sales, property, income, state sales, intergovernmental transfers, motor vehicles licenses, county landfill charges and dog licenses.

Interview elected office holders, political party officials and other community leaders on the advantages and disadvantages of some of these different forms of taxation.

Who determines what should be taxed?

Who determines what the tax rate should be? (Public vote, elected officials, appointed officials?)

Is there a difference between a tax and a fee?

10. “Shadow” a local government official. Make arrangements to spend part or all of a day with an appointed official. Possibilities include:

Tax assessor

County planner

Zoning official

Building inspector

Public health nurse

State inspector (DNR, Health Department)

Ask the government official questions such as:

How did you get this job?

What training was needed?

What are the major responsibilities of this job?

Do you work with the policymakers in Lansing? How?

11. Become familiar with the Michigan House/Senate districts in which you live. Knowing how large, populous, and similar or diverse your districts are will promote understanding of how your legislators operate, the pressures they have to respond to and perhaps why they do some of the things they do.

How diverse is the tax base in your district?

Did the population of your district increase or remain the same in the 1990 census? How did this affect how federal funding is allocated?

Have the district boundaries changed over the last 10 years? How and why have they changed?

12. Learn about a political party. Attend a local political party meeting. (The telephone numbers should be listed in the phone book, possibly in the yellow pages under political organizations.) Some questions to ask include:

What issues are of current concern?

How does one become a member of that party?

What does the party do prior to an election and between elections?

A General Overview of Local Governments in Michigan

Michigan has eight different types of local government. Each of these eight is designated as units of local government because they have taxing power or authority. In 2005, Michigan had 1,858 general-purpose governments:

General Purpose Governments:

Villages (263)

Cities (275)

Townships (1,242)

Counties (83)

Special Purpose Units:

School Districts (553)

Intermediate School Districts (57)

Community Colleges (28)

Special Authorities (# unknown)

Each of these units has its own governing body and it uses tax revenues for general operation.

Counties

The county is the largest subdivision of state government. There are 83 counties in Michigan, ranging in size from 316 square miles in Benzie County to Marquette County with 1,828 square miles. Most counties are approximately 500 to 900 square miles. Populations range from 2,300 in Keweenaw County to 1.8 million in Wayne County.

Townships

Townships have jurisdictions of nearly 95% of Michigan’s total land (36 million acres). Originally townships were to be 36 square miles, but they presently range in size from 600 square miles in McMillan Township to 2/3 of a square mile in Royal Oak Township. Township populations vary from about 100 to 80,000.

Village and Cities

There are 263 villages in Michigan with populations ranging from 150 to more than 8,000. Whenever a village incorporates as a village, it stays within a township. Incorporation as a city removes the area from township government. There are 275 cities with populations ranging from less than 500 to about 714,000 in Detroit. City governments have a great deal of flexibility in governmental structure, taxing powers and writing of ordinances.

Authorities

The number of authorities is not documented. Theses units are formed to provide special services within or between units of government.

Local Schools– K-12

Local school districts are governmental areas with definite boundaries for the purpose of taxation and school attendance. These boundaries do not necessarily coincide with those of a city or township. School districts are administered by locally elected school boards, which vary in size (an average of 5 to 9 members).

Intermediate School Districts

The intermediate school districts are separate governmental units whose purpose is to coordinate special programs and services for a group of school districts. The 57 intermediate school districts in Michigan are governed by boards (5 to 7 members), which are either selected by the local school districts or elected by popular vote.

Information compiled by Elizabeth Moore, Extension Specialist, Michigan State University; updated 2011 by Claire Layman. Michigan Manual, published by the Legislative Service Bureau, is the primary source of the data listed above as well as the U.S Census Bureau’s website American FactFinder. The following websites contain more information about Michigan’s units of local government:

Preparing for Camp

4-H Great Lakes Natural Resources Camp

Preparing for Camp

The Camp Program Handbook includes the Michigan 4-H Youth Code of Conduct and 4-H Great Lakes & Natural Resources Camp Rules. All participants, volunteers and staff members are expected to abide by the code of conduct, the event rules and all other MSU regulations in order to attend this program. Everyone involved in this camp must sign an agreement stating they’ve read, understand and agree to the Michigan 4-H Code of Conduct and program rules in order to be allowed to participate in the program.

What’s the 4-H Great Lakes Natural Resources Camp Schedule Like?

Camp begins with check-in from 3 to 4 p.m. on Sunday and ends with campers’ departure at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Here’s a tentative daily schedule:

Great Lakes Ecology Exploration Sessions (attend a different session each day)

Noon

Lunch

12:45 p.m.

Announcements, Group Meetings, Personal Time

1:30 p.m.

Recreation Learning Options

3:30 p.m.

Swimming and Beach Activities

5:30 p.m.

Supper

7 p.m.

Group Recreation

8:15 p.m.

Evening Program

9:15 p.m.

Snack

9:30 p.m.

Campfire

11:15 p.m.

Curfew – Campers Must Be in Their Assigned Cabins

* 1st time campers rise earlier one day to go charter fishing

Great Lakes Ecology Exploration Sessions

Hunt for Great Lakes Invaders – Join U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff in the hunt for Great Lakes invaders. While exploring Lake Huron’s coastal habitats, you’ll use technology to identify and map invasive phragmites and learn how to protect our Great Lakes coastal habitats from the threats of invasive species.

Charter Fishing and Fisheries – First-time campers go charter fishing then learn about and fillet their catch. Returning campers sample local lakes and streams for native fish and other aquatic life and see these organisms and their habitats up close.

Wildlife – Learn how to find and identify wildlife while exploring the habitats where they live. Become a wildlife biologist for a day and experience some of the techniques used to help manage our valuable wildlife resources.

Watersheds & Lakes – Study water samples, explore an inland lake from aboard a boat, and learn about the freshwater version of marine biology! Collect mud from the lake bottom using scientific equipment, see what pollutes our lakes and learn ways to help protect our waters.

Woodland Wonders – We need trees and forests for food, shelter, healthy soil and clean air and water. Become a forester for a day and explore the special forest communities of Northern Michigan. Learn how to keep our forest healthy and productive for both humans and wildlife.

Recreation Learning Options

You’ll attend five different options. For first time campers, this includes filleting fish caught during charter fishing. Your choices include archery, air rifle shooting, crafts, hiking, canoeing, photography, a sea lamprey research presentation, rock and fossil hunting at a local quarry, lighthouse tour, outdoor survival, orienteering and swimming enhancement for those who can’t swim well or at all. Strong swimmers will also have the chance to go kayaking, sailing and snorkeling.

What to Bring . . . And What NOT to Bring to Camp

Be sure to label everything you bring to camp with your name.

Definitely bring the following items with you to camp:

Consider bringing the following items with you to camp:

Athletic shoes with closed toes and heels for getting wet and muddy or aquatic sandals with straps

Flip flops or water shoes for shower use (water shoes can also be used)

Any medication (prescription and non-prescription) that you’ll need to take during camp MUST be in the original container and turned in to the camp health officer upon check-in. This is required by state law. (Anyone arriving to camp without an original med container will not have it dispensed until a fax is sent from the physician confirming it’s a legitimate prescription.)

Winning smile and enthusiasm

Binoculars

Camera (plus film or memory card)

Fishing equipment

Musical instrument (nonelectrical)

PFD (personal flotation device or life jacket)

Snorkeling equipment

Sunglasses

Hat

Water shoes

Leave the following items at home:

Archery equipment

Electrical equipment

Electronic games

Firearms

Good clothes

Hair dryers, curling irons and other primping items

Jewelry

Knives (including jack-knives or fillet knives)

Radios, record players, stereos and personal music devices (such as CD, I-Pod and MP3 players)

Snack food, pop or energy drinks

Cell phones

Sandals or shoes with open toes and heels (aquatic sandals with straps are okay)

Directions to Camp

Camp Chickagami is located along Lake Huron in the northeast corner of the Lower Peninsula in Presque Isle (between Rogers City and Alpena.)

Why Attend

4-H Great Lakes & Natural Resources Camp

Why Attend?

Have fun in the great outdoors doing camp activities such as fishing, boating, swimming, hiking and having a campfire!

Learn about and enjoy Great Lakes ecology and Michigan’s diverse natural resources.

Explore natural resources management issues and what you can do to help.

Find out about careers related to the Great Lakes and natural resources.

Learn from Michigan State University faculty, MSU Extension program staff and others who are also natural resources experts.

Discover environmental education projects that you can do at home.

Make new friends from across the state and learn about where they are from.

Enjoy a chance to be independent from your family in a safe, friendly environment.

Learn new ideas, skills and techniques you can use for the rest of your life.

Develop your leadership abilities.

More Opportunities for Returning Campers

If you’re a returning camper, you’ll be able to participate in the “regular” camp activities, plus these extras:

Take a night hike.

Try out advanced scientific techniques.

Take on extra leadership roles.

Be amazed as you notice things you may have missed or didn’t have time to participate in when you attended camp last time.

Strengthen your skills and qualifications to become a camp counselor in future years.

How Camp Helps in School

The educational experiences at camp help prepare, reinforce and enrich what youth have already studied and will study at school in the future related to biology and earth sciences based on the expectation established by the Michigan Department of Education. Through a variety of camp sessions, youth will be exposed to four of the five Michigan science curriculum standards in earth science and three of the five standards in biology for grades 8 to 12. To learn more, visit the following resources:

Michigan Department of Education Merit Curriculum — ScienceIn preparation for implementation of the new high school graduation requirements, the Michigan Department of Education, in collaboration with partners across the state has developed Course/Credit Content Expectations to provide all educators with a common understanding of what high school students should know and be able to do at the completion of each credit/course.

MSU Pre-College Scholarship Opportunity

Campers who enter eighth, ninth or tenth grades following their involvement are eligible for nomination to apply for a $2000 MSU Pre-College Achievement Scholarship. Campers will be invited to apply based on criteria such as attitude, behavior and active participation. The funds will be applied toward the first year at MSU as a degree-seeking student. For more information, visit the 4-H Scholarships area of this site.

Rabbits & Cavies

Want to teach your friends the difference between a rabbit and a cavy?

What hops like a rabbit and sounds like a rabbit and smells like a rabbit, but isn’t a rabbit? A cavy! No matter which you choose, rabbit or cavy, it could be the ideal project for you if you’re interested in an animal project but live in an urban area. They’re also great for small farms or rural areas where lack of space, facilities or money make it hard to raise larger animals.

Rabbits and cavies let you gain experience in feeding and managing animals for fun, companionship and profit.

Horses & Ponies

Love horses but live in town?

When you own or care for a horse or pony, you experience pride and responsibility, and develop valuable social and physical skill. You can be involved in a 4-H horse project in lots of ways, and many activities don’t require horse ownership. You can participate in show, trail or endurance riding, study horse science, participate in quiz bowls, rodeos, judging teams and much more!

4-H Proud Equestrians Program (PEP)

Riders with disabilities and the volunteers who work with them can gain great satisfaction through this therapeutic horseback riding program. With the help of trained and caring volunteers, riders can improve balance, coordination, posture and muscle tone. Horseback riding also increases self-esteem, self-confidence, discipline and social growth. But more importantly, riding is fun!

Goats

Ever wonder why a goat has a beard?

Goats—dairy type, pygmy, Angora and Boer—make great 4-H projects. They are relatively easy to handle, interesting and inexpensive to keep. In addition to learning about traditional animal care in a 4-H goat project, you can explore the use of products that come from goats such as milk, meat and fiber. You also can participate in activities such as quiz bowl, skillathon and judging, that don’t require you to own a goat.

Dairy Cattle

Curious how much milk the average dairy cow produces each day?

Dairying has come a long way since every family had a cow or two! If you want to be part of the dairy industry of the future, you have to prepare yourself for all phases of dairy technology. In a 4-H dairy cattle project, you’ll explore the technology related to the production, manufacturing and marketing of dairy products, and learn about scientific dairy research and related agribusinesses.

Agriculture is a big player in Michigan’s economy and future prosperity—and dairy is an important part of agriculture. Working on 4-H dairy projects could do more than get you a ribbon at the county fair. It could give you a start on a great career!

Companion Animals

Want to show off your pet’s skills and tricks?

Your pet—your dog or cat or bird or even your turtle!—could be the perfect 4-H project for you. You may think you know all there is to know about Fido or Fluffy, but through 4-H, you could learn so much more.

Or how about raising a puppy to become a Leader Dog or a special friend and companion for someone with a disability? It might hurt to give away an animal you’ve worked with so hard, but just imagine how good you’ll feel inside knowing how much you’ve enriched someone else’s life!

A new 4-H Exploration Days DVD was produced for distribution to all counties in early 2015. It contains a promotional segment (for use January through early May) and an orientation segment (for use in June.)

A limited number of $40 financial hardship and new audience recruitment scholarships are available through the event budget for full-time youth participants. Allocations are granted to counties in February.

Request Requirements

To receive a scholarship allocation, county staff must submit a request to the 4-H Exploration Days coordinator by mid-February. (See Exploration Days Email #1 for the specific date.) There is no form. The request can be made by email or hard copy, should be no longer than one page, and must include:

The number of scholarships requested, by whom, and for which county.

The situation or rationale for the request (i.e., financial need or new audience recruitment efforts).

Allocation Process

Scholarship allocations will be decided based on:

The rational given in the request letter.

The number of scholarships allocated and used by the county each of the past three years.*

The county attendance at Exploration Days in the past three years.*

The availability of scholarship funds.

* There’s no need for county staff to look this up and include it in the scholarship request. These records are maintained at the State CYI/4-H office.

Scholarship Notification

The person who made the county’s request will receive email notification of the number of scholarships being granted along with a scholarship recipient form to complete and return to the State CYI/4-H office a week after the event registration deadline.

Additional Information to Note

Scholarship awards will reduce each recipient’s final payment balance, not their deposit.

Scholarships cannot be applied to cancellation or no show fees.

Scholarships are not transferable if a scholarship recipient is unable to attend.

Whenever possible, counties are urged to secure local scholarships to support participant attendance.

See the Fees Summary for all fees, scholarship credits, payment and cancellation deadlines, and refund information.

Buddy System for Participants with Disabilities and Other Special Needs

A buddy system is utilized for youth who have physical, functional or learning disabilities. Some participants with mild disabilities may be able to function on their own without a buddy. This is a decision that each county MSU Extension staff must make with the family based on the situation.

Implementing the Buddy System for Participants with Disabilities and Other Special Needs:

Disabled or other special needs participants, who need extra support or assistance to have a positive learning experience, must be accompanied by a same-sex adult or older teen “buddy” who is able to address those special needs.

The buddy must accompany the special needs participant to the event, attend the same session and serve as his or her roommate. They will stay together during the entire conference (meals, sessions, free time activities, etc.).

The Partial Scholarship Recipient Form is for use by counties that received a scholarship allocation. Be sure to claim no more than the number you were allocated in February.

Housing Assignments

Three main steps are involved in the process of making housing reservations and assignments:

Each county completes a County Delegation House Count Form and returns it to the State CYI/4-H office. Counties sharing CCAs must indicate this on the form to ensure the counties are housed together. All forms must be in before any housing assignments can be made! Please do not be late submitting your completed form!

When all county forms are received, the event HQ staff assigns each county blocks of space (one for males, one for females) within a residence hall based on the house count totals and sends counties their housing assignment information (complete with floor plans) by late May.

County 4-H staff make specific room assignments to each member of the delegation. Allowing youth to sign up in pairs for roommates (or quads for Akers only) can be done at the county orientation meeting held in early June, or can be handled by whatever process works best in each county.

How to Read Your Housing Floor Plan

Each county is assigned blocks of space based on your house count totals for males and females. Next to your county name you will find two numbers. The top circled number is the count total you gave on your house count form. The bottom number indicates the number of housing spaces you’ve been assigned for that gender. Depending on your county’s number of adults and youth, you may have been given an extra room which gives you a bit of flexibility in assigning rooms.

Rooms in all residence halls except Akers are “suite style” where every two 2-person rooms share a bathroom that is in the middle of the suite. Most rooms in Akers are four to a room with their own bathroom. If a room’s capacity is different than what’s typical for that residence hall, there will be a circled number within the room block to indicate a different capacity. For example: a room with a circled 1 drawn in the space indicates a room with only one bed.

In general, females are assigned on one side of each hall; males are assigned housing on the other side. Some females, however, will likely be assigned space on top floors of the male housing sides due to many more female participants than male. Your housing assignment correspondence will state which sides house males and which house females. Your county’s floor plans will include the name, side and floor of your housing assignments.

If a housing floor plan shows one or more rooms X’ed out, those rooms are not available for 4-H use due to either room damage, renovations, or already being assigned to a residence hall security staff. Security staff are screened residence hall personnel assigned to their rooms for the entire summer and may be either male or female.

If you have a wheelchair user in your delegation, please note that the wheelchair accessible rooms on your floor plan are marked with a “W.” Please make sure you assign your wheelchair users to one of these rooms.

Assigning Individuals to Rooms – Very important things to note before you begin:

Create your roommate groupings before beginning your online housing data entry (explained in the next section). Once you’ve entered a room assignment in the online system, it can only be changed by the event HQ staff because of the way the programming works.

Do NOT over assign beyond a room’s capacity!

Assign CCAs and chaperones throughout the delegation area.

If a single block of space is listed with more than one county’s name (sometimes the case for multi-county housing groups), the counties involved must work together to determine which specific rooms each individual delegation should be assigned to within the multi-county housing assignment.

Counties are responsible for assigning specific rooms to the session helpers and instructors that are part of their delegation and for notifying them of their assignments.

Below are some important things to note BEFORE you begin entering the housing assignments online:

Bed space for each person in the room is designated by a, b, c, or d. The first person assigned to that room will be given bed a, the second will get bed b, etc.

Don’t change your mind regarding assignments while doing the data entry. Here’s an example of what happens if you assign a room space to someone then move them to a different room assignment:

You put Allison in room 261 – the program automatically assigns her to bed “a”.

You put Liz in room 262 – the program automatically assigns her to bed “a”.

If you change your mind and switch Liz to room 261 – the program will change her to room 261 but will recognize that she already has a bed assignment of “a” so will keep her in bed “a”. This scenario causes both girls to be in bed “a” within room 261 and it will cause problems when the housing data is uploaded from the 4-H Exploration Days system to the residence hall system!

If this sort of data entry error does occur, you will not be able to correct it on your end. You will need to email the event HQ staff (an intern will be designated as the housing “point person”) and request the change to be made by a system administrator.

When you’re ready to begin the online housing assignment entry, follow these directions:

Click on the green box “Housing Assignments.” Then click on each participant’s name to assign a room within your county’s male and female housing assignment block. The steps are:

click on the name

enter the room number

update the room assignment.

Repeat these steps for each person in your delegation until all who need housing are assigned a room and bed space.

Your housing assignment information must be completed and ready for the event HQ staff use by the date indicated via email. After all counties have entered their online housing assignments, the event HQ staff exports the housing data into the residence halls’ housing system. The 4-H Exploration Days housing information is due to the residence halls in a single batch report 7-10 days before the event. The information generated from the online data will be used at check-in for room key and conference card distribution.

Once room assignments have been made, no changes should occur.

Housing Sheets

After counties have entered their individual room assignments online for all members of the delegation, the individual female and male housing sheets can be printed. From the online registration system at http://web2.canr.msu.edu/explorationdays/login.cfm, click on the green box “Reports.”

Click on the report named “Participant Housing Sheet” and you’ll have the ready-made forms needed by your CCAs for bed check (and the event HQ staff, Head Conference Assistants staffing each 4-H Information Center, and residence hall staff).

Counties should make a copy of each housing sheet (pink paper for females; blue for males is preferred) and provide this to your CCAs for their bed check use. The State CYI/4-H office will make the pink and blue copies needed for HQ, HCAs and residence hall staff.

Room assignment changes should NOT occur after they’ve been entered into the online system. If an emergency occurs during the conference which warrants a room change, the change must be approved by the county conference assistant and the head conference assistants from your hall’s 4-H Information Center. These parties and the residence hall staff must all be involved in making the changes in the multiple needed places.

Pre-Event County Orientation Meeting

All counties should hold a Pre-Event Orientation Meeting between late May and early June. County 4-H staff should provide participants with the date, time and location of the meeting as soon as possible. All participants, along with a parent or guardian, should attend. The purpose of the meeting is to:

introduce chaperones

review rules, expectations and procedures

determine roommate pairings

collect fee balances - Be sure to use the Participant Payment Tracking Spreadsheet from the online Exploration Days Registration System. The use of this spreadsheet is explained in the Registration Entry by Counties & Payment Remittance section of this web site.

Identification Portfolios

Counties will create identification portfolios for their delegation. A Personal Data Sheet with a photo will be created for each youth and adult participant. These sheets will help county conference assistants (CCAs) and chaperones put names and faces together, put all pertinent information in one place and assist with identification and tracking if someone is missing. CCAs or county staff will be the keepers of the County Identification Portfolios.

Whereabouts Schedules

Youth and their assigned adult chaperones need to keep each other informed of where they’ll be, when and with whom. All chaperones will post two schedules on their residence hall room doors. One will show the chaperone’s schedule. The other will be for youth to sign in and out of the recreational activities they attend without a chaperone. The Participants’ Whereabouts Schedule form and the CCA/Chaperone/Staff Whereabouts Schedule form are available for downloading.

Permission Forms Needed by the State 4-H Office

County 4-H staff should submit the completed permission forms for their entire delegation, in alphabetical order, to the event registration secretary before early June. (Do not send forms for participants who have cancelled their registration.)

Make sure all required signature sections are signed and send the below listed forms in two separate stacks – each in alphabetical order for the entire delegation:

Copies of the Youth and Adult Code of Conduct/Media-Medical Release Form that your county youth and adults complete at the time of their 4-H enrollment. A copy of this completed form is needed for each person registered through your county for 4-H Exploration Days.

The 3-section Authorization Form from the back of the Exploration Days registration book covering Event Rules, Parent/Guardian Consent, and 4-H Overnight Housing Permission. This completed form is also needed for each person registered through your county for the conference. Note that some sections of the form are signed by the youth or adult participant (section 1) and some signed by a parent or guardian (sections 2 & 3). Note that if a parent/guardian does not sign section 3 (Overnight Housing Permission), counties need to make sure that youth is not housed with an unrelated adult when making individual rooming assignments at the county level in late May/early June.

Activity Guide

The Activity Guide includes a campus map centerfold and lists where and when all sessions and other activities are being held during the event. Each participant receives a copy at check-in. It will also be available for pre-event viewing online by June 1.

Activity Guide – inside pages (including map)

Activity Guide – map only

Activity Guide – cover only

Check-In

Check-In Process

1. From the 4-H check-in table, participants receive:

Activity guide

T-shirt

Name badge

2. At the residence hall check-in station, participants get:

Room key

Name badge holder & lanyard

Conference card (Conference cards are coded to allow participants entry to their housing floors, elevators and cafeteria. Participants will not be able to enter their cafeteria without their conference card and it will allow entry only once for each meal.)

Residence halls will already have pillows and linen packets (2 sheets, pillowcase and 2 towels) placed in each room. Blankets are also available from the residence halls if cool weather conditions occur during the event. Blanket distribution is determined by each residence hall. Some may provide them in each room before participants arrive. Others may choose to provide blankets upon request from the reception desk.

Each person should check-in themselves. Accepting keys and conference cards for those not attending will result in the full fee instead of the reduced cancellation fee.

Standard Wednesday Arrival

Check-in is from 8-11 a.m. in the residence hall on the side to which you are assigned – East, West, North, or South.

Tuesday Early Arrival

Arriving Tuesday evening is an option for delegations traveling long distances. Early youth must have chaperones of the same gender on their housing floor. All Tuesday early arrivals must be registered by their county as early arrivals. There is an added cost for the early arrival registration package which covers Tuesday lodging and Wednesday breakfast. Early arrival breakfast is served in Akers Hall. Tuesday dinner is not provided.

All Tuesday early arrival check-in begins in West Akers Hall outside General Headquarters. From there, participants proceed to their assigned residence hall to complete the check in process.

The check-in schedule for Tuesday early arrivals is:

4-5 p.m. Groups that bicycle to the event

5-9 p.m. All other early arrivals

Late Arrival Information

Late arrivals begin their check-in process at their assigned residence hall’s 4-H Information Center. From there, they proceed to the hall reception desk on the side of the hall to which they are assigned. The location of each hall’s 4-H Information Center is listed in the activity guide.

4-H Information Centers

A 4-H Information Center will be staffed within each residence hall from 7 a.m. to midnight. Each 4-H Information Center is operated by a male and female team of head conference assistants with the help of all county conference assistants within the residence hall. 4-H Information Center locations and telephone numbers are listed in the Activity Guide.

The functions of the 4-H Information Centers are:

Housing questions/problems.

Provide location directions.

Relays via a county message baggie system. Plastic baggies are labeled with the names of each county assigned to the respective residence hall. As messages are received, they are written down and inserted into the county’s baggie. CCAs & field staff should frequently check for messages. The see-through baggies make it easy to tell when someone from a county has a message. (If a message is urgent, effort is made to track down the participant immediately.)

Provide basic first-aid supplies.

Collect and disperse lost and found items.

Replace lost name badges, meal cards, or Activity Guides.

Create a “user friendly” atmosphere for participants.

Distribute pencils and paper to participants upon request.

Assist with questions.

At times the Information Centers are extremely busy; at other times there may be little to do for the Head CAs and CCAs staffing the centers. The activity level of the Information Centers depends greatly on the number of questions and problems that arise.

General Headquarters

General Headquarters is located in the West Akers Hall Lounge. The telephone number is 517-353‑2922. Headquarters is staffed from 7 a.m. to midnight on Wednesday and Thursday, and from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday. If you need help during the night, contact the West Akers desk receptionist at 517-353-3358. The receptionist will put you in touch with the 4-H Exploration Days program director.

Transportation to and/or from the hospital if it’s unavailable through a participant’s county.

Lost and found items (not hall-specific).

Assist with any and all questions.

At the Event County Meeting

Each county should hold an on-site county delegation meeting after check-in, and before sessions start using the Suggested On-Site County Delegation Meeting Agenda. All participants, chaperones and county staff are expected to be present. The meeting should be chaired by one or both CCAs with assistance from the county staff if possible.

A list of suggested meeting locations will be sent to counties and CCAs in late May – separately to each. The suggested meeting location list is prepared to ensure that all delegations have indoor meeting space available in case of inclement weather. If the weather is good (and hopefully it will be!) the CCA and county staff may choose to have the delegation meet outside.

It is a CCA’s responsibility to post notices on the delegation’s housing floor to inform participants of the meeting time and location. CCAs will be provided with paper, markers and tape in the CCA packet they pick up from their hall 4-H Information Center upon arrival.

Youth/Chaperone Huddles

In addition to the total county delegation meeting held soon after arrival, there will be five smaller youth/chaperone huddles held throughout the event. Youth/chaperone huddles provide a chance for each chaperone and his or her assigned youth to touch bases after sessions, before and after evening activities, before bedtime, and just before check out and departure. Counties may adjust the times of the huddles to best fit their needs but all huddles should end by 11:15 p.m. each night.

Huddles can be held in the chaperone’s room or some other location designated by the chaperone. The official huddle times are:

Wednesday and Thursday at 4:45 - 5 p.m.

Wednesday and Thursday at 11 - 11:15 p.m.

Friday at 11:15 - 11:30 a.m.

Recommended Agenda

Youth share how they spent their free time.

Process the experiences.

Discuss how these experiences can be shared or taught at the local level.

Review upcoming activities.

Answer questions.

Review evaluation, check-out and departure procedures (do this Thursday evening only).It’s preferred that participants complete the evaluation on Friday shortly before departure but it can be done Thursday night instead.

Bed Check

All county participants are to be (1) in their assigned rooms by 11:15 p.m., and (2) quiet by midnight. Chaperones that have participants who wish to go to bed before 11:15 p.m. may hold their huddle meeting before 11 p.m.

CCAs and county chaperones are responsible for bed checking their participants using the male and female housing sheets. CCAs and county chaperones must account for all county participants each night after curfew, making certain the individuals assigned to each room are in their own rooms and quiet. Participants may not trade rooms once keys have been issued. If an emergency which warrants a room change does occur, the change must be approved by the CCA, and the HCAs must be notified.

Participants who are missing must be located before contacting the hall Information Center with an “all accounted for.” If assistance is needed in locating participants not on the floor at curfew, the CCA should contact their county staff person or the HCAs at their 4-H Information Center.

When all participants in the county or multi-county delegation are accounted for, the CCA must notify their 4-H Information Center. This should be done as soon as possible after the 11:15 p.m. curfew.

CCAs should remain on duty on their floor, along with chaperones, until the entire floor is quiet. Adults should remain on the housing floor with their youth until morning.

When all participants in the hall are accounted for, the Information Center relays this information to General Headquarters and the 4-H Information Center closes for the night.

In the morning, participants should not leave their assigned floor any earlier than 6:45 a.m.

Guidelines for Handling Behavior Problems

If behavior problems occur during the event, the following steps should be taken:

If the behavior problem is “minor”, CCA and/or county staff should provide warning and if necessary, provide the discipline they feel is appropriate.

If a problem cannot be solved as described above, the advice of the HCAs should be sought. If further counsel is necessary, General Headquarters should be contacted.

The State 4-H staff at General Headquarters recommends that participants be sent home for the following reasons:- Theft or vandalism- Drugs, alcohol, sex or violence- Violation of curfew policy

If it is decided that a participant should be dismissed early, the parents or guardian will be called and expected to arrange for timely pick up and to incur any related expenses. The 4-H member should make the call in the presence of the field staff member and/or CCA. If the 4-H’er is unable to call home, the field staff member should make the call. During the time between when a parent or guardian is notified and he or she arrives on campus with proper identification, the youth will be separated from the program activities and remain under staff supervision. In extreme circumstances, youth may be turned over to local authorities during the wait time before pick up occurs.

Health Care

A Nurse’s Station is staffed from 10:30 a.m. Wednesday to 1 p.m. Friday of 4-H Exploration Days. The service is available to participants at no charge. Participants who become ill or injured should notify their county staff, then report to the event nurse. Participant medical treatment authorization forms are kept on file in the Nurse’s Station.

If further health care is needed, the nurse will refer the participant to a Lansing area medical facility. (The MSU Olin Health Center will be used during daytime hours for anyone age 14 and up; other further care will be off-campus.) If the need for medical care occurs, a parent or guardian will be contacted first if possible, by the child and the CCA or county staff person.

Transportation should be provided by an adult from the county of the participant needing transportation if at all possible. If the county cannot provide its own hospital transportation, the CCA or field staff should contact General Headquarters for 24 hour emergency transportation. An adult from the county of the participant needing hospital care should accompany the participant even if Headquarters provides the transportation. The cost of hospital treatment will be billed to the participant or parents/guardian of participant. Ambulance service is available but the cost will also be billed to the participant’s insurance or family.

The medical treatment authorization form must accompany any participant needing care from the hospital. The nurse will pull the participant’s health form from the file and give it to the adult accompanying the participant. This form needs to be returned to the nurse after the hospital visit. Counties may also wish to make copies of their delegation’s authorization forms and keep them in their County Identification Portfolio along with the Personal Data Sheets.

Anyone needing life or death ambulance transportation will be taken directly to Sparrow Hospital because it is closest to MSU. If the situation does not permit time to see the event nurse, phone 911 for an ambulance; then notify the county staff or CCA and General Headquarters at 517-353-2922. The health form must be pulled from the Nurse’s Station and taken to the hospital.

Insurance Protection - MSU does not carry special accident insurance for participants at 4-H Exploration Days. Counties are urged to provide special coverage for participants during the event. Counties should download and complete the Special Activities Insurance Coverage Form and submit it as a cover sheet to their delegation’s Medical Treatment Authorization forms they forward to the State CYI/4-H office.

Medication needs during the conference

Program participants who need to take medication during the event are expected to discretely store and administer their own medication privately. Single serving over-the-counter medications such as Advil, Tylenol, Pepto-Bismol are available for sale in residence hall snack shops.

If a medicine requires refrigeration, this need should be brought to the attention of the 4-H Exploration Days coordinator ASAP after the county 4-H staff make individual room assignments. The county 4-H staff will need to provide the room number and name of the participant so arrangements can be made to place a dorm-sized refrigerator in the room.

Emergencies

Contact Information

The telephone number for the Event General Headquarters is 517-353‑2922. It’s listed at the bottom of the conference name badges. Headquarters is located in the West Akers Hall Lounge.

Headquarters is staffed from 7 a.m. to midnight on Wednesday and Thursday and from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

If you need help during the night, contact the West Akers desk receptionist at 517-353-3358. The receptionist will put you in touch with Laura Potter-Niesen, the 4-H Exploration Days program director.

Emergency Procedures

Evacuation procedures and sites are located in the back of the activity guide and housing room doors. CCAs should designate a space for participants to meet in case of evacuation or emergency and let them know where it is during the county meeting.

Green emergency alert phones are on each housing floor. To use, press the 911 button. If this phone is accidently activated by someone they need to tell the 911 operator that it was done accidently so that the 911 response call is cancelled. These phones should only be used in the case of an emergency!

If there is an area emergency alert such as a tornado warning, it will be announced automatically from the phone’s speaker.

There are no phones in the housing rooms nor are there pay phones anywhere on campus.( If participants bring cell phones to the conference, they need to use them responsibly.) A long distance phone is available in the event Headquarters for emergency use.

Message Relay System

Most messages during the conference are relayed by inserting notes into a clear baggie labeled with the county name. CCAs and field staff should check their county message baggie frequently at the 4-H Information Center in case they or others from their delegation have a message or are needed by other staff or county participants. If the message is urgent, effort will be made to track down the individual.

Check-Out

End of Conference Check-Out

Check-out time is Friday from 6:15 to 8 a.m.* and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

*U.P. counties that want to arrange for their entire delegation to check out early on Friday morning but still eat lunch need to arrange this in advance with the 4-H Exploration Days coordinator. The event coordinator must provide a list of early check out counties to the residence hall staff at least a week before the start of the conference.

1. Participants should do the following when leaving their rooms:

Check drawers, closets, under bed, in shower for personal belongings.

Close all windows, leave blinds open.

Remove sheets and pillowcase from bed and towels from bathroom. Sort and place linen in the appropriate pile or bin in the lobby of your assigned floor.

Fold blanket and leave on bed with the pillow and mattress pad.

Drop garbage bags in compactor on hall floor.

Lock door when leaving room. Be sure all lights and faucets are turned off.

Turn their conference evaluation, room key and card in to their CCA.

2. To properly account for all keys and conference cards*, the following steps must be followed:

A check-out packet will be prepared by the residence hall for each county and should be picked up by CCAs on Thursday evening at their hall 4-H Information Center from the Head CAs.

Using their check-out packet and the updated housing sheet copy provided by the dorm, each CCA collects all keys and conference cards for their delegation. CCAs check off each person’s name on the list as they collect their key and card. (Participants do not return keys and cards personally at the hall front desk.)

CCAs then turn in ALL of the county’s key and cards in the collection envelope, along with the 4-H housing list, to the hall front desk on the side of the building where their group was housed.

*MSU’s fee for lost items is $75 for each key and $10 for each conference card. However, if a key or card missing at check-out is found and returned to the State CYI/4-H Office within a week after the event, the participant will not be billed for the missing items. Counties will receive an email notice if their delegation has any lost keys or cards and be asked to follow up with the participant and remit payment within the next month.

All conference participants must be out of the residence halls by 2 p.m., when the outside doors are locked and 4-H Exploration Days is officially ended.

Early Check-Out

Check out that occurs any time before Friday is handled differently. The early check-out process is:

The early departing participant must turn in their room key, card and linens, accompanied by their CCA, directly to the hall service desk on the side of the building where they were housed. The hall staff should record that all items were returned on a form retained by the hall staff. The Head CAs staffing that dorm’s 4-H Information Center should also be informed of the early departure and record it on their copy of the county’s housing sheet.

When the CCA turns in the keys and cards for the rest of the delegation on Friday, the CCA should also note on the key/card collection form that the early departing participant’s key, card and linen were turned early and separately.

Final Participant Fee Report

All 4-H Exploration Days fees should be paid before the conference – unless you are paying any remaining balance using a county fund transfer form by August 15. If you have any questions about your costs, you can access your “Final Participant Fee Report” from the Reports menu of the online 4-H Exploration Days Registration System. Please use this report, along with your “Participant Payment Tracking Spreadsheet” that you used before the conference, to reconcile any remaining participant fee balances. Please note that the total amount of all fee payments remitted by your county should equal the total shown at the bottom of the total column. If you had non-4-H youth enroll, the grand total is broken down to show the amount to be deposited into 4-H Exploration Days account DS100010, subaccount 1202 and the amount to deposit into your county 4HHLD account.

If you have questions or concerns regarding any of the amounts listed on your Final Participant Fee Report, please contact Gloria Ellerhorst at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 517-353-2922.

If overpayment was made and you need to request a refund, please email your request to Judy Lentz-Bishop at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Be sure to provide the name of the participant involved, amount to be refunded, payment check number, who/what entity made the original payment, the amount of the original payment, and explain why the refund is due.

MSU Pre-College Scholarship Eligibility & Nominations

After the event, county 4-H staff should determine which of their eligible participants to invite to apply for the Michigan State University Pre-College Program Scholarship. Only students in 8th, 9th or 10th grade following their MSU pre-college program involvement are eligible for consideration. This $2,000 scholarship is applied toward the student’s first year at MSU as a degree-seeking student. Scholarship recipients are not guaranteed admission to MSU and must meet admission requirements upon submitting the MSU application as an incoming undergraduate – either as an incoming freshman or transfer student.

Please note that the scholarship application nomination process for Exploration Days is different than the other 4-H pre-college programs. Each county can submit one applicant or up to 5% (1 for every 20) of their total number of students who attended the conference that will be going into 8-10th grades in the fall. You can round up; for example, if you had 21 eligible participants, you’re allowed two applications, etc. To identify who can be considered, pull a report by graduation year from the Exploration Days registration system. Click on the green Reports box, then Future Graduate Report, then enter each graduation year eligible for this year’s scholarship (remember, youth must be entering 8-10th grades following the event). 4-H Exploration Days nominees must be invited to apply by their county MSU Extension 4-H staff. County staff can use the invitation template and provide the application packet to your nominees anytime between July and early September. This is a competitive application process across all MSU pre-college programs. Approximately 60 scholarships are given annually by MSU Admissions.

To help you determine who from your Exploration Days delegation you wish to invite to apply, please consider:

Scholarship recipients are selected based on academic performance, program participation, demonstration of extra-curricular, community service and leadership experience, degree to which the student has overcome personal or environmental obstacles (i.e., resiliency), potential and desire to succeed in post-secondary education, and ability to benefit from the scholarship. County staff may wish to determine student invitation and county selection based on their attitude, behavior, active 4-H participation and whatever other criteria you wish to add.

MSU Admissions has a strong preference for nominees to have an academic performance of B or better. (Students with slightly lower GPAs can be considered but should be extremely strong in other areas to stand a chance at selection.)

There’s a slight tendency for the selection committee to lean toward older kids, however this is primarily because older kids are likely to have more noteworthy experiences to list on their application since they’ve had another year or two to accumulate them. That said, a standout 8th grader will still be weighed equally against a 9th and 10th grader.

Homeschoolers can be selected to apply but must still submit ALL parts of the application – including a teacher recommendation (from a core curriculum “teacher” who is not a parent or other relative) and a complete list of courses, grades and overall GPA from their previously completed school year.

Lost and Found

Counties should notify the State 4-H office if they are informed of lost items. After the event, the residence hall staff will notify the State 4-H staff of items left behind by participants. Items which can be identified to an owner will be returned to the participant’s county. Remaining items will be inventoried and a composite list will be sent to counties or by email approximately 2 weeks after the event.

Lost and found items not claimed within 1 month after the event will be given to the Salvation Army.

Evaluation

All counties will be asked to complete general event evaluation forms - one for each youth participant and a different form for each adult. CCAs should collect completed evaluations and turn them in to the HCAs. HCAs will turn in all evaluations collected in their residence halls to Headquarters.

Event evaluation results will be compiled and a report sent to county staff and posted on the event web site shortly after the conference.

Applying What Was Learned

Counties are urged to provide encouragement and support to local clubs to utilize and share the skills and knowledge gained at 4-H Exploration Days.

For each content area of session offerings (Animal & Veterinary Science, Communications, Environmental Education, etc.) a staff member with 4-H responsibilities serves as Session Contact Person. They work with instructors to determine session needs and enter them into an online database in March.

4-H Youth Mentoring

Curious how matching a caring adult with a young person can make a huge difference?

Formal mentoring matches caring individuals with young people to provide support, friendship, reinforcement and constructive examples.

Mentoring is also a partnership between the mentor and mentee for the positive development of the mentee. The mentee is not reduced to a recipient role. The mentee is an active participant and decision maker in his or her development. This allows an emotional transaction between them to occur with bonds of mutual trust and respect at the core of each relationship.

What is a mentor?

A friend A mentor has time to listen and give thoughtful, caring advice and assistance. He or she is someone who notices the little things and uses simple phrases like “I’m proud of you,” to help build self-esteem of young people. A friend realizes that time is needed to build a relationship; especially if the youth’s past relationships have not been stable ones.

A role modelA mentor is someone who has had successful life experiences and who is willing to share them. Modeling can come at many levels. Some can be as basic and tangible as making a craft, playing a sport or washing the car. Others can be less tangible, but just as important. These might include controlling anger, using good manners, or directing one’s energy in a positive direction.

A link to the communityA mentor should be knowledgeable about the community and be willing to research any information that is unknown to him or her. He or she will teach the young person how to access local resources.

Why do youth need mentors?

Youth need caring, nurturing, open and encouraging people in their lives. It is paramount to their psychological development that youth, especially at-risk and underserved children, have someone in their life to provide positive support to help them realize their potential.

Many youth have a desperate need for enduring contact with positive adult role models. Youth need to be guided, supported, prized and nurtured. Mutual trust, respect and awareness of being valued are key components for an emotional bond to occur between the mentee and mentor.

How does mentoring affect youth?

The intimate connection that can form between the mentor and the mentee helps reinforce positive perceptions of self-esteem and self-worth in youth. Mentoring is a tool for positive youth development. It can help improve grades, develop communication skills, enhance leadership abilities and encourage civic values and participation.

Research indicates:

Students who met regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class (Tierney & Grossman, 2000).

Youth who met regularly with their mentors are 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking (Tierney & Grossman, 2000).

Types of mentoring offered

4-H Youth Mentoring offers a variety of program models to meet the needs of different communities. 4-H mentoring opportunities in Michigan include:

Individual mentoringMatches one youth and an older individual. The young person is the focus of this relationship.

Group mentoringMatches no more than four youth with one adult or older youth to develop a relationship. This model includes 4-H Tech Wizards.

Peer mentoring Older youth mentor youth who are three or more years younger. These matches usually take place at site such as a school or neighborhood center.

Community-based mentoringThese matches meet at a variety of community locations. Adult mentors and their mentees will participate in activities that may include sports, crafts, museums and other hobbies.

Site-based mentoringThese matches meet regularly at a school or another location in the community. Staff are present to provide guidance and support.

Mentoring programs are not new to Michigan 4-H and MSU Extension. 4-H has a long history of establishing and supporting ongoing, positive and nurturing relationships between youth and adults. Michigan 4-H Youth Mentoring utilizes Michigan 4-H Youth Development’s expertise, infrastructure and resources as part of a larger community-based effort.

4-H mentoring programs do not exist to compete with nor take away mentors, mentees or resources from other mentoring or youth development programs. 4-H mentoring programs strengthen mentoring efforts for families, neighborhoods, communities and cities throughout Michigan by extending the resources of Michigan State University Extension to address this important need.

Contact

Science & Technology

Dream of inventing a robot to do your chores?

Science can be defined as the study of the world around us; a thread that runs through all aspects of our lives. Science is the theory that lies behind all 4-H projects. Technology can be defined as the tools and applications of science that help individuals advance their world and their own development.

The strength of 4-H lies in its strong volunteer base, its emphasis on hands-on experiential learning opportunities, programs that connect learning to real-life situations and its connection to the Land-Grant University system.

The Michigan 4-H science and technology program area cuts across all program and project areas. It is also specific projects in 4-H such as aerospace, computers, small engines, electricity, electronics, astronomy and robotics.

Contact

Jacob DeDecker, Program Leader Phone: 517-432-7575 Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Plants, Soils & Gardening

Itching to learn about poison ivy?

Explore the basics of plants and plant science – plant growth, soils, plant varieties, pest control measures, equipment and gardening techniques – through 4-H plants, soils and gardening projects. Learn about crop and soil sciences wherever you can grow plants, whether that’s in a basket, on a small garden plot or on an acre of land. Discover the magic of the earth and harvest a bushel full of knowledge and experience.

4-H Military Families

Need a support system while your service member is deployed?

In 1995 the Department of Army and United State Department of Agriculture formed a partnership designed to help Extension/4-H impact new audiences and help the Army meet its mission of providing predictable, consistent youth programs on Army installations worldwide. In the past 15 years, three program components have emerged. The goal of the partnership is to build a strong foundation in our military children and youth so that they possess the necessary life skills to be successful and lead a productive life as well as navigate the special circumstances of being a military connected youth. This is done through hands-on, experiential projects, experiences and opportunties.

The Programs

4-H/Army Youth Development Project The 4-H/Army Youth Development Project (4-H/AYDP) has evolved into a model program of cooperation between Federal agencies. Through the 4-H/AYDP, 4-H National Headquarters and Army Child, Youth and Schools Services (CYSS) partner to provide predictable, quality youth programs and introduce 4-H to Army installations worldwide. The partnership links resources of the Land Grant University Extension System to Army youth programs in pursuit of their common mission for positive youth development experiences for children and youth wherever they live.

Military 4-H Clubs

As Military Families move frequently and experience the difficulties surrounding lengthy and frequent deployments, 4-H provides predictable programming and a safe and nurturing environment for military kids.

National 4-H Headquarters relies upon the Land Grant University Extension System across the country to build strong partnerships with Military Services to provide technical assistance and training for military staff and to establish 4-H Clubs for Military youth living on and off installation. In addition, 4-H seeks to serve those children whose parents are serving in the National Guard and Reserve and live in communities with little or no military presence.

Operation: Military Kids (OMK)

OMK is a collaborative effort with America’s communities to support children and youth impacted by deployment.

Recognizing the skills and knowledge that 4-H is known for, Army CYS Services has partnered with 4-H professionals from around the nation to develop a variety of youth and professional development resources available at: http://www.4-hmilitarypartnerships.org

Military Family Resources

Visit the Resources section on the bottom of this page for materials that can be used to support military families such as:

Where Can I find a 4-H Military Partnership program or event?

All counties have access to the 4-H Military Partnerships program. Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) is divided into 13 districts across the state. To find a program or event near you, visit the MSU Extension Events website or contact the Military State Liaison or 4-H Military Project Director (below) at MSU Extension.

Contact

B’Onko Sadler, Military State Liaison Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Phone: (517) 432-7618

Inclusive 4-H

Want a club where everyone can participate?

Expanding Inclusive Opportunities for Youth and Volunteers

Today we find a far richer mixture of family backgrounds, ethnic heritages, and physical and mental abilities in our 4-H membership than ever before. This mixture sometimes presents challenges for volunteer leaders and members alike as they learn to function successfully in this larger picture. But what a terrific opportunity we have to blend our talents into positive outcomes.

No one has yet come up with a sure-fire recipe for success in inclusive programming. However, there are some key ingredients in the base of every good mix:

Positive attitude This begins with the volunteer leader and spreads contagiously to the members.

Clear and consistent expectations Establish what is okay today will be okay tomorrow, and doing what is not okay will have defined consequences.

Everybody counts Communicate that each individual is a valued member of the group and care is taken to recognize and meet each individual’s needs.

Adaptation is acceptable “That’s the way we’ve always done it” is out. “Let’s see how we can do this to make it work” is in.

Once these key ingredients are in place, the programming possibilities are unlimited. In order to offer 4-H experiences and opportunities to everyone and anyone who wants to be involved, we need to do our best to get rid of any obstacles that might keep 4-H from including everyone.

The best advice for inclusion: Treat every child equally

Ron Morley, 4-H volunteer leader in Clare County and assistant superintendent for special education for the Clare Gladwin Regional Educational Service District, offers these quick tips for volunteers who have opportunities to include young people with disabilities in their 4-H club:

When you plan a meeting make sure it is in a space or location that is accessible to everyone.

Use your teens. Encourage teen leader pairing so that a child with a disability has someone to work with.

All projects should involve everyone. The beauty of the project is in the eye of the beholder - the important thing is that everyone gets to complete the project.

One thing a volunteer or club can do is contact the special education department of the local school district. They can be great resources - they have people trained to work with children with special needs.

Ask parents about the specific disabilities and needs of a child and offer to accommodate and pay attention to the child’s needs.

Encourage team showmanship. This allows a team to bring their individual strengths to the team’s success. It also reduces the emphasis on any team member’s individual abilities or disabilities.

Consider physical environments when programming

When working to make 4-H activities accessible, consider the physical environment. Whether you’re looking for a meeting site that will accommodate a wheelchair user or planning inclusive activities for your 4-H club or group, keep the following tips in mind:

Check the accessibility of the building entrances and exits, hallways, rooms, lighting, drinking fountains, safety procedures and other factors.

Doorways and walkways should be 32 inches to 36 inches wide.

Ramp slopes should not be greater than 1:12.

When working around a table, leave a space without a chair to accommodate a person who uses a wheelchair.

Keep all walkways free of clutter.

Place all supplies and educational materials within reach and convenient to where 4-H’ers will use them. This way, you and the young people don’t have to carry things from place to place.

Everyone Shares the Opportunity to Serve

4-H groups that engage in community service give their members a chance to learn what it’s like to help someone else by using their individual abilities. Abilities are found in persons with and without disabilities. Involve 4-H’ers who have disabilities as active participants in your community service projects. Through participating in community service efforts, all 4-H’ers can develop the very qualities that will prepare them to become good citizens and leaders.

Global & Cultural Education

Curious how people in different countries live?

Helping young people to explore and to appreciate what people around the world have in common and what makes them unique is critically important in society today. Michigan 4-H offers a variety of opportunities for kids and adults to learn more about our global community through:

“The challenges that face the world today – from globalpoverty and climate change to financial systems and conflict– require globally minded solutions. Global competencyskills are necessary so that young people can invent a future that appropriately addresses global challenges.”– van Fleet & Winthrop, 2010

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Healthy Youth

Want to learn more about healthy after school snacks?

“My health to better living”

Kids need all the information they can get about their food and fitness options. You can promote nutrition, health and fitness as important parts of a young person’s development. 4-H offers learning opportunities and resources that help kids make healthy food choices, develop their food purchase and preparation skills, create plans for fitness, and prepare and handle food safely.

Health involves the physical, social, intellectual, mental and environmental well-being of young people. Michigan 4-H Youth Development supports and empowers individuals, families and volunteers to help young people make proactive decisions about healthy lifestyles. 4-H links decision-making skill building to current health issues such as tobacco use prevention, stress management, nutrition and fitness to teach youth:

Healthy behaviors

The science of human diseases

Ways to become advocates in their communities to build healthy lifestyles

Through 4-H health programs, young people develop:

Positive values such as responsibility and restraint

Positive identity and self-esteem

Social competencies such as resistance skills, stress management skills and the ability to make healthy lifestyle choices

Get Involved!

Nutrition and Healthy Eating

Michigan 4-H programs encourages young people to think about the foods they eat and to take positive steps to increase their intake of foods that will keep them healthy and where possible help them avoid foods that lead to unhealthily risk.

Teaching proper nutrition and healthy eating habits takes place in many different activities and forms throughout Michigan 4-H Programing. By training Teen and volunteer and giving them tools, recipes and activities, they can work with youth to provide fun, positive, educational programs that encourage increased focus on healthy choices.

Physical Well-Being

Michigan 4-H encourages youth to actively engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. 4-H offers programs and camps for youth to learn about new ways to stay active as well as encourage physical activity. While there are opportunities for adults, teen leaders and volunteers to gain valuable experience through hands on training, Michigan 4-H encourage youth do develop healthy habits by staying active to build a healthy lifestyle.

Personal Safety

Michigan 4-H program helps to educate youth about personal safety including, vehicle safety practices, both as a driver and passenger, tobacco prevention, safe seat belt practices and other areas that keep youth safe from physical or emotional harm.

This priority [MN1] area provides resources and training opportunities for teen and adult from across the state to learn about how they can implement personal safety programs into the work they do with youth.

Get involved in youth tobacco prevention.[MN2] Michigan 4-H Youth Development offers a youth tobacco prevention curriculum called “Life’s A Kick! Don’t Start” that provides information and activities designed to encourage young people to make healthy choices about tobacco use. Check out ”Life’s a Kick! Don’t Start” to find ways you can get involved in this very important youth health issue.

International Exchange Programs

Want to see the world with 4-H?

Through 4-H International Exchanges, we hope to increase the friendship between people in Michigan and other countries and to help our young people develop an international outlook. We offer travel programs for youth ages 12 to 26. In addition, Michigan families can host an exchange student for as short as one month in the summer or as long as ten months for an academic school year. We also need hosts for two weeks in the summer for our international adult chaperones.

For more information about these exciting experiences, see the list of upcoming opportunities below.

4-H Exchange Opportunities

School-Year Hosting Programs - FLEX & LABO (August 2015 to June 2016)

Would you like to host a high school exchange student for the 2015-16 school year? Please contact us to discuss our wonderful program and to select a compatible student from our profiles. Our exchange students are between the ages of 15 – 18, and are sophmores, juniors, or seniors in high school. We place students from Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine through the FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange Program) run by our U.S. Department of State. We also place Japanese and Korean students through the LEX and LABO organizations. Delegate profiles available starting in Feb. 2015. Go to http://www.states4hexchange.org/year-long/ to see a list of our current available students.

Do you have a child 10-17 years old? Would you like to host a Japanese son or daughter for a month this summer? From July 26 to August 22, 2015, we need host families for 12-16 year old Japanese youth. We match your child with a Japanese brother or sister of the same gender, within two years of age, and with similar interests. See Profiles of the Japanese youth . To put a specific delegate on hold while you complete the application process, contact Brian Wibby. The delegate can share a room with your children and can attend a summer camp (cost covered) with their host-sibling. Applications to host are due by May 1, 2015.

Youth ages 12-18 can travel to Japan in the summer of 2015 with Michigan 4H! Travel dates are July 8 -August 6, 2015 for our Homestay Program. For our Nihongo language program the dates are June 10 - August 6, 2015 . Applications were due December 15, 2014. Contact us for information about outbound summer 2016.

Host families are needed for summer 2015!. Michigan will host from six to eight students, ages 14-18. The Belizean delegates will attend 4-H Exploration Days from June 24-26, 2015, before going to host families for one month. The primary language of Belize is English.

For more information, contact Jackie Martin at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 734-222-3877.

International 4-H Youth Exchange - IYFE

Formerly the International Farm Youth Exchange, this program brings college-age youth, usually from Europe, to live and work at Michigan farms for the summer. Youth stay at each farm for three weeks. Contact us if you are interested in hosting for summer/fall 2016. Scholarships of up to 50% are available for Michigan youth traveling abroad. http://ifyeusa.org/

Host Family Questions

Host families are required to provide 3 meals a day and a bed (delegates can share a room with same sex siblings). All delegates provide their own spending money for other expenses. Our FLEX students receive stipends for personal spending money, school fees (athletics, fine arts, yearbook, etc.), and civics education events. Delegates are treated as family members not guests, so they are expected to contribute to family chores like their host brothers and sisters.

Our school-year host families and host siblings are invited to two all-expenses-covered weekend retreats. Parents of host families are screened via our MSU Extension Volunteer Selection Process, which is required of all 4-H volunteers and professional staff who spend significant amounts of time with young people aged 18 and under.

Host families come in many forms. MSUE exchange programs are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status.

Participate in an educational tour to acquire specific subject matter skills and knowledge.

Prepare to share the international experience through presentations in their Michigan community.

What participants have to say:

“We are having a great time hosting. When we take our Japanese student someplace we find we see things we thought we knew through different eyes, his.” -Host mother for Japanese delegate

“What I liked best about this experience was gaining a Polish sister and learning about the culture.” - Polish delegate host sister

“With whatever career I choose I will be honest and respectful to everyone. That is what I learned.” - Delegate to Japan

“We are not All-American anymore, because a wonderful blend of real German, Swedish, Swiss and Taiwanese habits has flavored our communications.” - IFYE host family

“My children who hosted and traveled continue to keep in touch with their host brothers in Japan and Belize. They have continued interest in other countries and cultures.” - Host mother

“At school, the geography classes are more interesting because we can find more countries on a map and know what life is like in other places.” - IFYE Host Sister

Shooting Sports

Dream about hitting a bullseye?

Get kids on target through the 4-H Shooting Sports Program!

The Michigan 4-H Shooting Sports program has been active for over 20 years. Youth in more than 70 counties participate in a variety of shooting sports areas every year! Members can learn safety and shooting techniques for shotgun, rifle, air gun, muzzle loading and archery. They learn how to handle firearms responsibly for target practice and hunting and learn respect for the natural environment.

Objectives

The goal of all 4-H Youth Development programs is youth development. All project areas work toward developing skills youth need to be productive and positive adults in society. Decision making, teamwork, problem solving, being responsible and having high self-esteem are just a few of the many skills 4-H helps to develop.

Objectives specific to the 4-H Shooting Sports program are to:

Encourage participation in environmental and outdoor education programs by exposing youth to shooting, hunting and other related activities.

e-learning course informationNEW FOR FUTURE WORKSHOPS: All four modules of the e-learning course must be completed by all workshop participants prior to the workshop. Participants will not be certified if modules are not completed prior to attending the workshop.

Safe shooting sports programs require a lot of support from adult volunteers. There are many ways to help out — your certified instructor can provide you with additional information. Contact your county MSU Extension office or find a local club in your area and don’t be afraid to ask how you can help!

Support 4-H Shooting Sports

Partners include:

Organizations wanting to expand youth development through conservation education such as hunting and shooting sports

Sportsman’s clubs willing to share their space with local groups

Sponsors:

Assistance from individuals or organizations is welcome and critical to our mission. To donate, please contact the Michigan 4-H Youth Foundation. The following organizations have provided crucial funding support to youth shooting sports programs so they remain accessible to all youth in Michigan:

Outdoor Adventure Challenge

Love having fun outdoors?

The 4-H Outdoor Adventure Challenge uses the biggest classroom available — the outdoors — to lead young people in activities that are both physically and mentally stressful. Through 4-H Outdoor Adventure Challenge, participants learn canoeing, kayaking, backpacking, hiking, outdoor survival and safety skills. Most importantly, they learn to communicate with other group members to plan, organize and conduct their own activities in the outdoors. The program teaches youth the skills necessary to deal with stressful situations which may occur in any setting in their lives. It also gives young people a greater sensitivity, understanding and appreciation for both themselves and the outdoors.

Training Requirements

The multi-session 4-H Outdoor Adventure Challenge Leader Training Series is designed to train adults interested in using the outdoors to help develop life skills in young people.

New in 2013 the program has been restructured into OAC Leader Requirements. The training includes an introduction to 4-H and the 4-H Outdoor Adventure Challenge program, training in backpacking, caving, canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing and winter camping. Adults receiving the training are expected to work with young people in the 4-H Outdoor Adventure Challenge program and abide by these 4-H OAC program policies. A number of resources exist to support trainees and those already certified. They are listed in the Resources section below.

You must be at least 16 to enroll in the training, and at least 21 to become a certified 4-H Outdoor Adventure Challenge leader. Enrollment is due a couple weeks before each training date.

Training Costs

The fees for training cover instructional materials, facilities or camping fees and group equipment costs and mileage for instructors. Fees are due before each training and must be remitted with a training enrollment form (below). Participants also are responsible for the cost of their own food, personal equipment, transportation to and from the training sites, and other personal costs.

Want to help legislators keep Michigan beautiful?

The M4-HYCC meets for several weekends at Camp Tuhsmeheta in Greenville, Michigan to meet with environmental professionals, learn public speaking & leadership skills, and learn about the public policy process.

January 24-25: The council members will choose their topic. There is a lot of discussion and debate about what is the most important issue to take up this year. The workshop also includes research skills.

February 21-22: In this workshop council members will delve more deeply into their topic by speaking to experts in the subject area. This workshop also includes games on the public policy process and leadership.

March 14-15: Student will focus on completing their research paper and presentation. Participants will practice communication and public speaking skills.

April: date TBA. The group will present to the Michigan Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Environment, and Great Lakes

The Michigan 4-H Youth Conservation Council (M4HYCC) offers:

A leadership and confidence-building opportunity for youth ages 13 to 19.

Acquisition of important life skills, experiences, knowledge and understanding of current environmental issues.

A chance to explore solutions to environmental issues and provide “youth voice” in state government public policy-making.

Exposure to a number of career possibilities and mentoring from caring adults.

Life-long benefits for teens as future community leaders and stewards of Michigan’s natural resources.

New friendships with others from across Michigan.

The program selects up to 25 youth from around the state in the fall of each year. The youth that apply for M4-HYCC typically have an interest in natural resources, environmental problems, outdoor recreation and/or politics.

Information About the Work of the Council:

See photos of the 2012 M4-HHYCC presentation to the Senate Committee of Natural Resources Environment and Great Lakes.

Ricky Tanis, a second year member (2007-2009) from Lapeer County talks about his M4-HYCC experience: ”When I first joined the council, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but once I arrived, I found out that being a part of M4-HYCC was a chance to be with other teenagers like me, who want to make a difference in today’s world. Everything we did, we worked together and helped each other out. We would talk, work, research and of course, laugh together, making everything we did, whether in work or play, enjoyable.”

Making a Difference

M4-HYCC was created by the Michigan Senate in 1999 and is coordinated by Michigan 4-H Youth Development. Each year M4-HYCC members select and research a current environmental issue. They interview people, listen to presentations by professionals, surf the Internet, and read books and articles on the chosen topic. Around Earth Day (April 22) each year, council members testify about their research before a Michigan legislative committee. Their intensive research and testimony have made a difference:

In 2008, they influenced the passing of SB (senate bill) 152 and 362 by giving testimony to both the House and Senate Committees. This public policy was signed by the governor as Michigan law to significantly reduce the amounts of phosphorus permitted in dishwasher and laundry detergents. High levels of phosphorus in Michigan lakes and rivers have had harmful effects on wildlife and people.

In 2003, their recommendations led to the introduction of a bill in the state Senate that directed the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to include information in its boating safety course on proper marine fueling techniques, the problems that marine fuel spills may cause to lakes and rivers, and how and where to report a marine fuel spill.

M4-HYCC members testified for a bill introduced in 2000 (and passed in 2002) that promoted the development of the Michigan heritage water trail program.

We invite you to make a difference through involvement in M4-HYCC or a county-based 4-H youth conservation council!

Junior Citizen Planner

Ever wonder why cities are built in certain ways?

In order to make a long-term impact on land use, today’s youth and tomorrow’s leaders must be equipped with effective land-use decision-making tools. The Junior Citizen Planner (JCP) programis a series of innovative curricula that educates youth in 3rd to 8th grades on land use issues through fun, hands-on learning activities within their communities. It was developed through a joint effort between MSU Extension’s Citizen Planner Program and 4-H Youth Development.

It is modeled after the successful, adult Citizen Planner program.

The Junior Citizen Planner curriculum utilizes group activities. These activities can be conducted within several settings including: school classrooms, 4-H Clubs, after-school programs, home schools, Scouts, Campfire, or day and summer camps. Flexibility is a key component of this program.

Target Audience, Skills and Curriculum

Junior Citizen Planner targets youth in the classroom and 4-H Club setting but may also be used with day and summer camp programs, Scouts, Campfire, and other youth programs. The program develops participant’s skills in becoming good citizens, responsible decision-makers and will develop community pride. The primary subject areas covered in the program are:

Social Studies, Civics and Community

Geography

Environmental Science and Land Use Planning

Land Use Technology (GIS, GPS)

Activities are posted in PDF format under the “Resources” section at the bottom of this page. The activities have been certified to meet both, the Michigan Curriculum Framework Content Standards and Benchmarks, as well as the Kent County Core Curriculum for 3rd - 5th grades, however, the activities are appropriate for participants up to age 13 (8th grade). The activities are not specific to Kent County, they are relevant on a statewide basis.

Benefits to Educators and Youth:

Fun and creative teaching strategies and learning methods, including experiential and hands-on components.

Easy to follow materials and flexible lesson plans.

Activities / lesson plans meet the Michigan standards and benchmarks and are listed by their numerical code and written out completely.

An unbiased introduction to controversial land use issues, presenting all sides of an issue in a fair and honest manner.

Activities that build knowledge and skills for inquiry, investigation, analysis, decision-making and action.

Projects that can be displayed at fairs, in a class celebration or for guest speakers.

4-H Great Lakes & Natural Resources Camp

4-H Great Lakes & Natural Resources Camp

August 2-8, 2015

What’s It All About?

Young teens have fun and amazing outdoor hands-on learning experiences as they go charter fishing, snorkeling, sailing, hike through forests, wade through wetlands, explore dunes and more! This really fun MSU pre-college program could be the highlight of your summer - it could even change your life!

Learning sessions and recreation are designed to:

• Increase teens’ appreciation and enjoyment of the outdoors, natural resources, and science.

Who should attend?

The camp is for teens aged 13 to 15, or going into 8th-10th grades in the fall, who are functioning at grade-level or above. (We use the public school cut-off date for school-year eligibility which is that 2015 campers must be born before 12/01/2002 to be entering 8th grade in the fall.) You don’t need to be a 4-H member to attend.

So each camper can have the best experience possible, each camper must be able to fully participate in grade-level appropriate small group science learning sessions as well as very active large group recreation. It’s an action-packed week of fun and learning! (Campers who are unable to meet these expectations will be dismissed from camp at the parent/guardians expense.)

Maximum camper capacity is 70 campers, so apply early to increase your chances of getting a spot. Promotional materials and applications will be available in February.

Where is the Camp?

The camp is held at a place called Camp Chickagami in Presque Isle, near the shores of Lake Huron between Alpena and Rogers City. The state-licensed camp has dormitory-style cabins, a dining hall, and toilet and shower facilities. Meals are all prepared by a qualified cook and served right in the dining hall.

Summer camp – way more than just funSummer camps make long lasting differences in the lives of youth by getting them unplugged from electronics and connecting them to the outdoors.

Award Winning Camp!

It’s an award winner, but that just tells you it’s full of good stuff taught by experts. More important to teens, it’s full of fun too and things that’ll make you feel good to be doing your part to care for Michigan’s environment.

To learn why this camp is one of the top 4-H science programs in the nation, check out the new report, “Priming the Pipeline: Lessons from Promising 4-H Science Programs,” from a study conducted as part of the national 4-H Science Initiative evaluation. The report features 4-H Great Lakes & Natural Resources Camp and seven other nationally recognized 4-H science programs. Program practices are discussed in the following areas: youth outreach and recruitment; staff and science volunteers; professional development; science curricula and pedagogy; youth development and attitudes toward science; partner organizations and resource support; program evaluation; and program sustainability and scale-up.

Related Programs

4-H Great Lakes and Natural Resources Camp is just one of many 4-H environmental and outdoor education program offerings. For more information, please visit the Environmental and Outdoor Education section of this site.

For information about the pre-college programs offered at MSU, please visit Spartan Youth Programs at http://www.spartanyouth.msu.edu. You’ll find a multitude of programs that can help you develop valuable skills, make new friends and taste college life.

Entomology

Wonder why you’d put butterflies in the freezer?

Take some time to learn about our small, successful insect neighbors. After all, there are many more of them than there are of us!

You can do service-learning projects related to insects; observe, photograph and collect insects (either by using catch-and-release methods or by making a specimen collection); and more! Read on, and have fun going “buggy!”

Service Learning and Entomology

Emerald Ash Borer Eradication – Get involved with the effort to wipe out the emerald ash borer! You and other Michigan 4-H’ers can help spread the word about the importance of not moving firewood from quarantined areas. You can also help others identify this invasive species and help identify infested ash trees. To learn more visit http://www.emeraldashborer.info/. You can also download a “Help Stop the Emerald Ash Borer” informational Flier.

Purple Loosestrife Eradication– Rear the beetles that love to munch on purple loosestrife, an invasive species that is crowding native plants out of Michigan wetlands. Visit the Michigan Sea Grant “Purple Pages” at http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/pp/index.html to find out how.

Environmental & Outdoor Education

Love spending time outdoors?

Journey through field, forest, wetlands and urban areas to discover the wonders and mysteries of Michigan’s natural environment. Through 4-H environmental and outdoor education projects you will learn about the interconnection of people and nature. You’ll also develop respect and appreciation for and a sense of stewardship toward our natural resources. Enjoy time outdoors and develop an understanding and appreciation of the environment through three core theme areas:

Basic science and ecology

Interrelationships and impacts

Health, wellness and positive outdoor experiences

The following 4-H EOE project areas incorporate these themes into their learning activities:

Community Service & Learning

Want to make a difference in your community?

Through its pledge of “hands to larger service,” 4-H has historically given back to the community by encouraging young people and adults to volunteer. In 4-H, service is commonly defined as the voluntary action of an individual or a group of individuals without pay. Service to the community – through food drives, raking the yard of an elderly neighbor, adopt-a-highway programs, teens teaching younger youth, teens mentoring children, or youth determining community needs and helping solve community problems – helps young people learn caring, leadership and citizenship.

“Every year millions of Americans volunteer at more than one million non-profit organizations throughout the United States.”(Volunteering: 101 Ways You Can Improve the World and Your Life, by Douglas M. Lawson. Alti Publishing, 1998)

Why is it important for all of us to be involved in service?

Our U.S. society is based on the idea that we are all responsible for the well-being of our community, country and world. Even before the founding of our country, the willingness to serve was evident in the hearts of many. Later the Great Depression brought out opportunities for service throughout the nation, and the forming of the Peace Corps in 1960 by President John F. Kennedy further reinforced the eagerness of citizens to get involved in helping others. While the people served certainly benefit from community service, the volunteers who engage in serving others benefit positively in many ways. Michigan 4-H Youth Development continues in that tradition by involving young people in a variety of community service-learning projects and programs.

What youth gain from community service learning

By giving back to their communities, young people can:

Learn the value of helping others.

Develop leadership, communication, organizational skills and a sense of empowerment.

Learn how important the connection is between subject matter and life in the community.

Learn how to cooperate with one another and work as a team with diverse groups of people including adults, peers and others with different backgrounds and experiences.

Succeed in an area different from academics, athletics or popularity.

Build self-esteem from the positive results of their service.

Develop problem-solving and decision-making skills by applying their knowledge to real-world situations.

Develop a sense of being responsible for their community and a sense that citizenship requires them to actively participate in their community.

Receive recognition for their efforts and possibly college scholarships.

Experience the world of work.

Not only do young people gain by being involved in community service, the clubs and groups that they are in also experience benefits from planning and carrying out service projects.

What clubs gain from community service learning

Carrying out service activities can strengthen a club or group because it:

Boosts member commitment and involvement by giving members meaningful activities.

Can involve families and youth in a joint activity.

Fulfills the “hands to larger service” part of the 4-H pledge.

Builds unity among members, allowing them to function better as a team.

Allows members to get to know one another better as they work together on a common goal.

Helps youth become invested in their club and community.

Shows the community how youth can be resources and how they can get things done.

Contact

4-H Youth Development Phone: 517-432-7575 Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Communications

Aspire to be a speech writer one day?

Express yourself! Having great communications skills can make a big difference in life and work. The ways we communicate, as young people and adults, touches all that we do. In 4-H activities, you will have the opportunity to gain skills and confidence in areas such as public speaking, writing, visual communication, video and media.

Clothing & Textiles

Aspire to be a fashionista?

Appearances do make a difference! When people look their best, they feel confident and do their best. You can help kids look great and feel great by teaching them the essentials of personal appearance; the importance of body image, clothing designs, fabric facts, how to build a wardrobe and be a smart buyer. You don’t have to know how to sew to be involved in the 4-H clothing and textiles projects!

Leadership & Citizenship

Wonder how to become president?

Change the world. Change your community.

You’ve heard the expression “think globally, act locally.” Michigan 4-H couldn’t agree more. Discover the many ways to get involved in your community and act locally through our educational activities, fun conferences and events that help develop leadership and citizenship skills. Young people (5 to 19 years old) are invited to join 4-H and gain the knowledge, skills and practical application needed to be participatory members of our democracy, learn job skills and have fun. Programs and 4-H Clubs are done through a cadre of trained volunteers and staff who work with young people on dynamic and meaningful educational programs.

Through citizenship, leadership and community service learning activities, young people learn how their actions (such as voting, participating in community service activities, writing letters to their legislators and taking action on an issue important to them) can help them understand how to make a difference. In the process, they learn life skills, understand themselves, learn to learn, communicate better, make positive decisions and learn to get along and work well with both youth and adults.

Michigan 4-H is proud to be a leader in citizenship, leadership & service!

Through the following goals, young people experience citizenship, leadership and service in the context of positive community youth development. 4-H citizenship, leadership and community service learning programs:

Meet the needs of youth by developing fun and relevant experiences designed by youth and adults.

Use a variety of research-based learning processes and resources to engage youth in a variety of hands-on activities.

Involve youth and adults as partners existing at all levels of program design, implementation and evaluation and through shared knowledge and activities have reciprocal leading, teaching and mentoring roles.

Recognize the value of volunteer and professional staff and support them through a well-coordinated system of professional development opportunities.

Communicate the outcomes of programs to local communities, legislators and other stakeholders.

Seek out charitable grants and public funding to support citizenship, leadership and service programming in 4-H.

4-H Leadership

Leadership skills can be learned and developed through the many opportunities 4-H has to offer. 4-H’ers learn about leadership and practice those skills through activities such as taking part in 4-H club meetings, presenting information at various events, designing and implementing activities for younger youth and carrying out community service projects as individuals or with a group. 4-H teaches youth the life skills necessary to effectively lead others. These important life skills will be used in jobs, in careers, in service clubs, in communities and in daily activities as an adult.

By taking part in 4-H, young people can acquire the leadership life skills they need to take responsibility for their actions and to work with others in achieving individual and group goals. In a 4-H leadership project, youth gain experience in understanding themselves, communicating, getting along with other, learning to learn, making decisions and managing and working with group.

The 4-H Teen Leadership Project

An excellent way for 4-H’ers to discover what makes a leader successful is to become involved with a 4-H teen leadership project. 4-H teen leaders doing a 4-H teen leadership project can choose to take on a leadership role defined by themselves and their chosen adult advisor, which involves more responsibility, time and work. 4-H teen leaders who have been involved in developing their leadership skills for some time can expand their experience by taking on a specific project. The 4-H teen leadership project allows teens to actively participate in project planning, become involved in leadership tasks, and help younger 4-H members learn by example. 4-H teen leaders who are involved in a 4-H teen leadership project have different requirements and complete the 4-H Teen Leadership Project Guide, which allows teens to discuss and reflect upon their project plan and project goals. 4-H offers opportunities for 4-H teens to become leaders by practicing the skills they are learning. See the 4-H Teen Leadershippublication to learn more.

New Curriculum Published!

4-H Backpack to Adventure: Youth Leaders in a Global World is an innovative, competency-driven and research-based curriculum from Michigan State University Extension. It is designed for adult and teen volunteers, parents, professionals and others to use in working with young people aged 9 to 19 to develop the knowledge and skills they need to become youth leaders in an interconnected, global environment.

The learning activities are appropriate for use in nonformal educational settings such as 4-H clubs and groups, after-school and out-of-school programs, home school classes, school enrichment programs and camps. The activities can also be used in classrooms.

Unique features of this flexible curriculum include:

The “4-H Backpacks to Adventure” that young people create either on their own or in teams.

A focus on five competencies (5Cs) that young people will need to become leaders – locally and globally – in a globalized, rapidly changing and interconnected world. The 5Cs are character, citizenship, communication, creativity and culture.

A “Resource Matrix” that shows which of the 5Cs are addressed in each activity and that links to many more learning opportunities.

The activities are matched to the 2010 National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies.

You don’t have to be a leadership or international studies expert to work with young people using this curriculum. For more information about using this curriculum, including information about upcoming trainings, contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). The curriculum is available in either print or electronic format from the MSU Extension Bookstore.

“The challenges that face the world today – from global poverty and climate change to financial systems and conflict – require globally minded solutions. Global competency skills are necessary so that young people can invent a future that appropriately addresses global challenges.”– van Fleet & Winthrop, 2010

Contact

Jackie Martin, Leadership and Civic Engagement Work Group Co-Chair Phone: 734-222-3877734-222-3877 Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Brian Wibby, Leadership and Civic Engagement Work Group Co-Chair Phone: 906-475-5731906-475-5731 Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Character Education

Interested in becoming a responsible citizen?

Parents, teachers, 4-H volunteers and others who work with and on behalf of young people and families can become involved in character education.

What is character education?

Character education is the process of learning common attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that are important for people to have as responsible citizens. Good character education can provide ground rules for life for adults and young people, and it stresses the importance of helping children learn and practice behaviors that reflect universal ethical values.

Character education helps children and youth become:

Conscious of the right thing to do.

Committed to doing the right thing.

Competent in doing the right thing.

Why character education?

Many people are concerned about the breakdown in the healthy moral development of children. Increases in delinquency, pregnancies, violence and substance abuse continue to climb among adolescents. Surveys have shown astonishingly high levels of cheating, lying, stealing and drunken driving among teens and young adults. Adults clearly need to do a better job of teaching and modeling high standards of behavior in the family, school and community.

Character education is important in every aspect of a child’s life, including the family, school and community. Kids need consistent messages, and they need all the adults in their lives to have high standards and expectations for ethical behavior. Character education can and should happen as a long-term, communitywide, community-based effort involving schools, parents, social service agencies, law enforcement, churches, businesses, 4-H, and other youth and family organizations.

Character education endeavors fit well with a policy adopted by the Michigan State Board of Education in October 1996, in which the board encouraged public schools to provide character education focusing on principles such as respect, responsibility, caring, trustworthiness, justice, civic virtue and citizenship. These themes also complement much of the content of the Michigan Model Health Education Curriculum used in school districts across the state.

Contact

Michigan 4-H Youth Development Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Phone: 517-432-7575517-432-7575

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Poultry

Curious how many eggs chickens lay?

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to a gentleman on the other side. When the chicken asked, “What’s your name?” the gentleman replied, “Bond. James Bond. What’s yours?” The chicken responded, “Ken. Chic Ken.”

Seriously, if you’ve ever pondered the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, you’ll have the chance to try to discover the answer when you participate in a 4-H poultry project. If chickens aren’t your style, you could try turkeys, ducks, geese, pheasants, pigeons or coturnix (Japanese quail).

Visual Arts

Interested in exploring photography?

Express yourself through creative art projects! Have fun while gaining skills and confidence by drawing, painting, taking photos, working with wood or making crafts. 4-H visual arts includes crafts, fine arts, photography and woodworking.

Contact

Folkpatterns

Want to learn more about your family tree?

If you’re interested in traditions, history, traditional crafts, foods or your own heritage, the 4-H Folkpatterns program is for you! Discover the traditions in your life and in the lives of others. Connect with tradition-bearers in your community. Explore food traditions, stories and customs of family members. Grow a heritage garden. Learn a folk dance. Document the historic barns in your community. Study the art of gravestone symbols. Research your family tree. Interview a former 4-H’er for the Michigan 4-H History Project. Hold an ethnic dinner. Discover how culturally diverse every community is!

Contact

4-H China Project

Always wanted a pen pal?

The Michigan 4-H China Project, conducted in cooperation with the People’s Republic of China, is a global education program that often uses the arts for both in-school and after-school learning experiences. More than 300,000 Michigan youth have participated in this project. Michigan K-to-6th-graders can:

Learn of the many similarities between their lives and the lives of their counterparts halfway around the world

Gain a sense of being part of one world, whether they live in Michigan or in Shandong Province

Have a significant learning experience that includes language, social studies, natural science and the arts

Why should Michigan youth be involved?

To develop awareness, understanding and appreciation of other cultures that will last a lifetime.

China is an important country with one-fifth of the world’s population; it is the third largest country in the world.

Chinese culture is more than 3,500 years old—the oldest in the world—rich in the arts, science and philosophy.

China is home to the fastest-growing economy in the world.

4-H Children’s Art Exchange and Teaching Kits

Program participants are invited to send “visual letters” to children their own ages in China. Teaching kits are available to facilitate teaching about China and about making art. Each teaching kit is unique and consists of nine or ten original pictures by Chinese children, a study guide and a description of the pictures that come with the kit. A selection of Michigan artwork is then sent to China as a gift to the children of China. An announcement about the art exchange usually is sent to county MSU Extension offices in the fall. The deadline for submitting artwork to the State 4-H Office is usually early May. The 4-H Children’s Art Exchange kits are available for year-round use. (The study guide and description of the pictures from Kit A are also available in the Resources section below.) Contact your county MSU Extension office to borrow materials.

“Visual Letters—The Art of Michigan Children” Traveling Art Exhibit

View a selection of Michigan artwork from the following 4-H Children’s Art Exchange traveling exhibits: (Note: In Internet Explorer, Adobe PDF files will open in full screen mode. Press right and left arrow keys to advance or go back. Press escape to leave full screen mode.)

Discover Chinese Dance Activity Kit for K-6th graders

This kit is filled with silk dance costumes, papier-mache masks, rice straw hats, ribbon sticks and music for the Chinese Children’s Ribbon Dance. The materials help young people learn about classical and folk dance in China. A study guide is included to maximize this program’s effectiveness.

Chinese Children’s Ribbon Dance

This kit consists of 12 ribbon wands and an audiotape of music and dance instructions. The dances are easy to learn for dancers and non-dancers alike. The ribbon sticks are also fun for children to use to create their own dances.

Discover the Children of China Audiovisual Program

(Slide format and VHS video format)This audiovisual program encourages children to think about the daily lives of children their own ages who live in the People’s Republic of China. Visits to elementary classrooms, playgrounds and after-school art activities are included. The program is about 6 minutes long. A discussion guide for grades K-4 is included.

Entrepreneurship

Aspire to own your own business?

From market livestock animals and craft sales to worm farming and bio-fuel production, 4-H has been involved in entrepreneurship from its beginning. Entrepreneurship combines business concepts and creativity. 4-H entrepreneurship programs can help you take an existing project to new levels or assist you in bringing a great idea to life while making a profit.

Forms of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship can come in many forms, including making improvements or finding new uses for existing products. Entrepreneurs find solutions to problems, like turning waste products into renewable energy sources. Entrepreneurs identify opportunities, such as selling cold pop on hot day. Entrepreneurship can be a career path and avenue to a successful financial future, and being involved in 4-H entrepreneurship programs today can strengthen your existing skill set.

Developing an entrepreneurial spirit through 4-H

Entrepreneurial spirit is characterized by innovation and risk taking. Take a look at what 4-H has to help you create your own future, and how 4-H members from around the state of Michigan have embraced their entrepreneurial spirit!

Workforce preparationrefers to the skill-building and educational programming and training done with individuals to prepare them for work.

You may have heard this statement: “It’s not always the best person who gets the job, but the person best at getting the job.” Many experts agree, so it’s worth investing time to understand everything you can about:

Contact

Michigan 4-H Youth Development Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Phone: 517-432-7575

Arts

Want a way to explore your creative side?

Express your creativity with 4-H! Draw, paint, take photos, dance, clown, make music, work with wood or make crafts. Have fun and gain self-confidence as you build your performing and visual art skills.

Did You Know…

Young people who participate in the arts for at least three days each week for at least one year are:

Four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement

Three times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools

Contact

Michigan 4-H Youth Development Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Phone: 517-432-7575

Animal Science

Think you have to live on or near a farm to work with animals in 4-H?

Lots of people think 4-H is all about living on a farm and raising a cow or a pig, taking it to fair, winning a blue ribbon and maybe selling the animal to earn money for college. For some youth, that’s true, although there’s a lot more to it than that!

But thousands of kids in 4-H work with animals and have never set foot on a farm. They’re working with dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, birds, fish, snakes, turtles—you name it. Not only do you get to be with animals that make great companions, you’ll understand them so much better when you learn about what to feed them, how to train them and how to enhance their environment. By the way, all of those things? That’s why it’s called animal science!

Caring for an animal is a big deal, so you’ll definitely learn to be responsible. If you could use a boost in confidence and want to get better at communicating, working with an animal could be right up your alley. And there’s nothing like working with an animal to help you feel connected to another living being.

It can be fantastic, but it can also be hard. Seeing an animal being born is like….wow! Losing an animal friend could hurt, though. It’s all part of life, and working with animals let’s you learn to cope with all kinds of experiences.

Cloverbuds (Ages 5-8)

Think you’re too young to be in 4-H?

Our youngest 4-H’ers aren’t quite ready to participate in many of the project areas and/or activities that their older brothers and sisters can, but there’s still plenty for them to do in 4-H, starting with fun!

The emphasis is on participation, learning and teamwork, not competition. They might learn about nutrition while helping to prepare simple snacks, plant seeds and learn what to do to help them grow, or help with animal grooming and feeding (with supervision).

Cloverbuds also provide opportunities for older youth to mentor and help a younger 4-H’er be successful, and start laying the groundwork for their future “career” as a 4-H member.

With Cloverbuds, safety comes first, and all of the activities are developmentally appropriate for this age group.

Michigan Rabbit/Cavy 4-H Scholarship

Award amount: Varies, two to four given annually Who can apply: Those who will be college freshmen in the Fall 2015. Students must have been enrolled in a 4-H rabbit or cavy project for at least three years.

Michigan State University Scholarships

Michigan State University 4-H Scholarship

Award amount: $2,500 annually for four consecutive years of full-time study at MSU. Six scholarships are given annually. Who can apply: 4-H members who are high school seniors must apply to MSU and submit the MSU 4-H Scholarship Application by November 1 of their senior year. Applicants must meet the standard admissions requirements of the university and be accepted to MSU. Application form:

Michigan State University Pre-College Program Scholarship

Award amount: $2,000 applied toward the student’s first year at MSU as a degree-seeking student. Scholarship recipients are not guaranteed admission to MSU and must meet admission requirements upon submitting the MSU application as an incoming undergraduate.)

Who can apply: Students in 8th, 9th or 10th grade following their MSU pre-college program involvement (such as 4-H Exploration Days, 4-H Great Lakes & Natural Resources Camp, 4-H Renewal Energy Camp, 4-H Animal & Veterinary Science Camp or 4-H Capitol Experience). Students will be invited to apply by their county MSU Extension 4-H staff for Exploration Days or the pre-college program director for GLNR Camp, Renewable Energy Camp, 4-H Animal & Veterinary Science Camp and Capitol Experience.

Because of the large number of eligible students, a maximum of five percent of eligible enrollment can be nominated from each program. This is a competitive application process from all of MSU’s pre-college programs. Students must complete the MSU Pre-College Scholarship Application Packet in its entirety by the specified deadlines. Forms must be to the State CYI/4-H office by the fall deadline.

The Michigan 4-H Foundation offers scholarships to attend Michigan State University. There is no separate application process for these awards scholarships – recipients are selected from the MSU 4-H Youth Development Scholarship applicant pool.

Funding 4-H Youth Development Scholarships

Contact the Michigan 4-H Foundation if you would like to help support 4-H youth in their pursuit of a college education. There are various ways you can make a gift to create a 4-H scholarship fund.

4-H Recognition Program

4-H Awards and Recognition Program

“It’s great to be recognized!”

Whether you’re a youth or an adult volunteer, if you’re doing great 4-H work, there are lots of ways to be recognized for it! Check with your county to see which opportunities are available where you live.

YOUTH RECOGNITION

Project medals

While each county establishes its own criteria for giving these medals, if you are an outstanding member between the ages of 11 and 13, you may be especially likely to be considered for one of the medals which celebrates your excellent work in a particular project area. There is no general application process, but each county may have a process of their own for determining medal recipients.

Michigan 4-H Key Club Award

The 4-H Key Club Award is intended to be the top county 4-H honor, and selections are made at the county level. To be eligible, a 4-H member must:

Be 15 years old by the beginning of the project year (September 1)

Have completed three calendar years of club work as of January 1 of the current year

State 4-H Awards Program

This is the highest honor bestowed on Michigan 4-H youth. This program is for 4-H youth aged 13 and up with at least three years of 4-H experience. All youth who meet these requirements are encouraged to apply. Youth compete in 19 different award areas showcasing their knowledge, skills and experiences.

To apply, youth submit the State 4-H Awards application to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) by February 1. Applications are carefully reviewed by selection committees and delegates are announced by March 15. Delegates are invited to participate in either an advanced leadership development program (juniors), competitive interviews (seniors) or presentations (groups) during 4-H Exploration Days on June 24. State 4-H Award winners will be announced at the 4-H Recognition Program, held at the prestigious Huntington Club in Spartan Stadium, June 25 during 4-H Exploration Days.

State 4-H Award winners become a part of an elite group of 4-H youth who have demonstrated the highest level of excellence. While all State 4-H Award winners receive a plaque, seniors receive a $200 cash award, while juniors receive a $50 cash award.

4-H Mark of Excellence Award

If you are 11 or 12 years old, you could be the recipient of the 4-H Mark of Excellence Award. To enter, you write an essay on the theme, “Because of 4-H I can …” Essays should be submitted to your county office by February 1. Counties then select their representatives and submit names and essays to the State 4-H Awards Committee. For more information and instructions, view the overview and instructions.

Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

If you are a 4-H’er in 5th to 12th grade who does a lot of volunteer activities, you may want to apply for a Prudential Spirit of Community Award, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals. You can apply online at http://spirit.prudential.com or www.principals.org/spirit. Applications must be submitted to a county 4-H educator by November 1. For more information visit Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

Volunteer recognition

Michigan 4-H Salute to Excellence Awards

The Michigan 4-H Salute to Excellence Awards highlight the important work of 4-H volunteers across the state. Volunteers are, undeniably, the “heart and soul” of 4-H, and in an age when time is at a premium, the Michigan 4-H Salute to Excellence Award serves as an opportunity to acknowledge our volunteers’ unwavering dedication to Michigan 4-H Youth Development. These awards honor outstanding volunteers for their dedication to youth. There are two categories for nominations:

The Lifetime Volunteer Award is presented to a 4-H volunteer with more than ten years of service.

The Volunteer of the Year Award is presented to a 4-H volunteer with ten years of service or less.

These awards are patterned after the national 4-H Salute to Excellence Awards. Currently, Michigan 4-H does not have an organized system for providing state, regional or national recognition to its volunteers. Instituting this award in Michigan provides us with this opportunity and assists in the identification and selection of individuals to be nominated for the national Lifetime Volunteer Award and Volunteer of the Year Award.

Each year, counties are invited to nominate two outstanding individual volunteers, one in each of two categories. A state winner and runner up will be selected in each category. Recipients of the Michigan 4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer Recognition Awards will be chosen from nominees submitted by county 4-H offices. Each year the recipients of the Michigan 4-H Lifetime Volunteer Award and the 4-H Volunteer of the Year Award will be submitted for regional and national recognition honors. Recipients of each award will be presented with a plaque and asked to designate a 4-H program, club or activity to be the recipient of a $400 monetary award in their name. Awardees will also have their name engraved on the Salute to Excellence Perpetual Plaques to be located at Kettunen Center in Tustin Michigan.

Michigan Farm Bureau 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award

The Michigan Farm Bureau 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes outstanding achievements of Michigan 4-H volunteers or groups that have exhibited excellence in 4-H youth education and leadership development in the areas of 4-H beef cattle; dairy cattle; goats; horses; horticulture, crops and soils; poultry; rabbits; sheep; swine; and veterinary science. Honorees choose where their $1,000 recognition award will go to advance Michigan 4-H youth development programming in agriculture. Visit the Michigan 4-H Foundation web site for the application materials.

Contact

Join

JOIN THE CLUB!

Wonder how tap dancers do the paradiddle? Curious how many eggs chickens lay? Dream of inventing a robot to do your chores? Budding gardener but still a sprout? Wonder how to become president? Aspire to be a fashionista?

Life’s little questions aren’t meant to be answered alone. In 4-H, kids learn practical things like pet care, growing gardens or building things – and important values like responsibility, leadership and teamwork. Explore things that spark your interest! Discover new talents! Make new friends! Develop important skills! And best of all, have fun!

So whether you’re in the city or boonies, become a Michigan 4-H member today and we’ll tackle life’s little questions together!

What is 4-H?

Many people think 4-H is just for kids who live on farms or those interested in raising and selling animals – but that’s not true! Offering a diverse range of topics and interest areas, 4-H is the largest youth development organization in Michigan. In fact, each year more than 200,000 young people, ages 5-19, explore what interests and excites them through Michigan 4-H. In program areas ranging from science and technology to clothing and textiles, and so much more, 4-H provides fun, educational opportunities that become the foundation for a lifetime of success.

Ready to answer Life’s Little Questions? Sign up!

To become a 4-H member today, you can either:

Contact the Michigan State University Extension office in the county where you want to enroll, or;

Fill out and submit the web form on this page

The 4-H program coordinator in the county you’ve selected will follow up with you about next steps in the youth enrollment process: club selection. 4-H clubs are the primary delivery model for 4-H programs and provide youth with unlimited opportunities for learning, relationship-building and fun. Your local 4-H program coordinator will assist you in identifying a 4-H club in your community that meets your interest areas and availability.

Michigan 4-H FAQ’s

Michigan 4-H FAQ’s

What are the four H’s?

Head, Heart, Hands and Health

Head – 4-H lets kids take the lead—with the help of adult partners—in thinking, learning and problem-solving.

What is the 4-H pledge?

What is the 4-H motto?

“To make the best better.”

Who is involved in 4-H?

4-H Youth Development is located in every corner of Michigan. Each year, more than 200,000 youth and 20,000+ adult and older teen volunteers from major cities, suburbs, towns and rural communities participate in 4-H. Nationally, 4-H youth programs involve more than five million young people from all 50 states and many U.S. territories.

Who operates 4-H?

4-H Youth Development is delivered locally and operated at the state and national levels through a partnership between county governments, Michigan State University Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This partnership ensures that what 4-H promises in outcomes for young people is backed by the research and knowledge base of the nation’s premier land-grant university and the support of county, state and federal governments.

How old do you have to be to join?

4-H programs are open to youth aged 5 to 19. Adults aged 19 and older are encouraged to join 4-H as volunteers.

How do you join 4-H and how much does it cost?

Call the closest MSU Extension office by dialing toll-free 1-888-MSUE-4MI (1-888-678-3464) and entering the first five letters of your county’s office. Ask to speak with someone about joining 4-H.

To join a club, the participation fee per youth is $10 per year or $30 per family (with three or more youth). Some types of projects have additional costs for supplies, equipment, travel, etc.

What do 4-H volunteers do?

Adult and teen volunteers work at the local and state level to support experiential learning activities for youth. 4-H volunteers are club, group or resource leaders, middle management leaders, advisory council members and Michigan 4-H Foundation trustees.

How do you become a 4-H volunteer?

Information on becoming a volunteer is available in the “Volunteers” area of this site.

What do 4-H state and county staff members do?

4-H staff members lead and support the work of 4-H volunteers and members in each county. They cooperate with other MSU Extension campus and county staff members, with local, regional and state partners, and are oriented toward a multidisciplinary approach to program design, implementation and evaluation.

Who are state 4-H specialists?

State 4-H specialists have part- or full-time appointments within MSU academic departments including Animal Science, Crop and Soil Science, Family and Child Ecology, Fisheries and Wildlife, Forestry, Food Science and Human Nutrition, Horticulture, Human Environment and Design, Veterinary Medicine and the MSU Museum. Specialists provide links between academic departments, content area expertise and research opportunities.

What is the 4-H mission?

To create nonformal, educational opportunities to help youth thrive in a complex and changing world.

What is our programming philosophy?

Provide age-appropriate life skill development

Emphasize research-based experiential learning

Involve volunteers

Engage a variety of partners

Include families

Reach both diverse and underserved audiences

Be accessible

Promote a multicultural perspective and appreciation

Have fun!

Learning Materials

More information on learning materials available to support 4-H activities can be found in the “Programs” area of this site or through the MSU Extension Bookstore.

Training & Events

For upcoming 4-H training and events, check the “Events” area of this site.

Youth are considered participants rather than recipients in the learning process.

Youth develop skills that help them succeed.

Youth recognize, understand and appreciate multiculturalism.

Youth grow and contribute as active citizens through service and leadership.

Volunteer

Want to make a difference? Eager to give back to your community? Need a resume builder? Looking to leave a legacy? Enjoy working with young people? Ready to share your special talent? Want to learn a new skill?

There are a lot of reasons to become a Michigan 4-H volunteer! A program of Michigan State University (MSU) Extension, Michigan 4-H is the largest youth development organization in the state, with more than 200,000 youth participating in countless ways. From veterinary science to performing arts, science and technology to youth entrepreneurship, and communications to outdoor and environmental education, today’s 4-H programs are so much more than farm animals—although we have those too!

At the core of Michigan 4-H, and critical to the success of its youth, are more than 20,000 volunteers who give their time and talents to 4-H’ers. These volunteers serve in a number of capacities: some choose to help at camp, teach a workshop or lead a club, while others chaperone an event, lend their professional skills or help at the fair. As they provide hands-on guidance and real-world experience, these volunteers also offer young people another crucially important element: a healthy adult role model who helps to build their confidence and ignite their dreams for the future.

So whether you want to pass your skills on to a new generation, give back to the community, leave a legacy or something else, invest in the future of Michigan as a 4-H volunteer. By giving your time to young people in your community, you’ll help them answer life’s little questions, achieve big dreams and prepare for a lifetime of success.

What are the steps to becoming a 4-H volunteer?

The 4-H program coordinator in the county you’ve selected will follow up with you about next steps in the volunteer enrollment process. This includes an application process where the program coordinator will get to know your interests and talents, as well as a background check.

Interested in becoming a 4-H volunteer but have some questions of your own? Check out the FAQs section to learn more.

Responsibilities & Procedures

4-H Exploration Days

Responsibilities & Procedures

MSU Extension 4-H Exploration Days Program Handbook

The 4-H Exploration Days Handbook includes the Michigan 4-H Youth Code of Conduct and 4-H Exploration Days Rules. All participants, volunteers and staff members are expected to abide by the code of conduct, the event rules and all other MSU regulations in order to attend this program. Everyoneinvolved in this program must sign an agreement stating they’ve read, understand and agree to the Michigan 4-H Code of Conduct and program rules in order to be allowed to participate in the program.

Responsibilities and procedures follow for 4-H Exploration Days youth and adult participants as well as for adult chaperones, county conference assistants, head conference assistants, session instructors and helpers, county field staff, and hosts.

Youth Participants

All youth should have either a full session assignment or two half session assignments before they arrive to Exploration Days. It is very important that all youth pick their own session choices during registration to eliminate the need for session changes at the event. Eight different choices should be listed on each participant’s registration form.

4-H Exploration Days teaches responsibility, not as a burden, but as a sense of connection and empowerment. All youth and adult participants must abide by the Code of Conduct. This is required for participation at 4-H Exploration Days. Please sign and return the form given in the back of the 4-H Exploration Days registration book as directed.

What’s New

4-H Exploration Days

What’s New?

General Headquarters will be back in the West Akers Lounge in 2015

Participants will be housed in Akers, Holmes and Hubbard Halls.

MSU Extension 4-H Exploration Days Program Handbook

The 4-H Exploration Days Handbook includes the Michigan 4-H Youth Code of Conduct and 4-H Exploration Days Rules. All participants, volunteers and staff members are expected to abide by the code of conduct, the event rules and all other MSU regulations in order to attend this program. Everyone involved in this program must sign an agreement stating they’ve read, understand and agree to the Michigan 4-H Code of Conduct and program rules in order to be allowed to participate in the program.

Menu

MSU Culinary Services offers a wide variety of entrees and side dish choices to choose from at each meal. Most people with special dietary needs can make selections that fit their needs without making any special arrangements. View menu here.

Wednesday Evening Wharton Center Entertainment

You won’t want to miss the show at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts on the opening evening at 8 p.m. You must be registered for 4-H Exploration Days to attend the show. Plan now to be there!

Three Men and a Tenor

Great pop vocal music, quick witted humor and overall likeability give Three Men and a Tenor a unique style of engaging performance that cannot be matched.

With over 2,500 performances in the group’s 22-year history and twice voted “The Best Entertainment in Michigan”, THREE MEN and a TENOR is a polished group of showmen, with a flair for fun and family that brings audiences to their feet! Learn more at

4-H Capitol Experience

4-H Capitol ExperienceMarch 22-25, 2015

Preparing for Active Citizenship

4-H Capitol Experience is an annual 4-day conference that focuses on civic engagement and public policy. Up to 100 teens from around the state converge on Lansing, Michigan to experience state government in action and learn how they can influence policy issues. Participants interact with legislators, state agency staff, lobbyists and other resource people to learn how policy is made. Attendees will:

Understand the responsibilities of a citizen

Explore different aspects of a policy issue that may affect individuals and communities

Explore various careers in public policy

Attend bill writing session

Have an in-depth meeting with someone in (or involved with) state government

Simulations and activities are incorporated to reinforce and apply what is learned about government. Teens leave the conference with the charge to share what they have learned and get involved with other leadership and civic engagement activities in their communities!

Scholarships:Up to 12 statewide scholarships covering the cost of half of the full program fee ($155) will be awarded to youth participants. Please fill out the scholarship application and return to the address listed on the reference page by January 23, 2015.

Additional scholarships may be awarded at the county and local level. Contact your local Michigan Farm Bureau office, as well as your 4-H Program Coordinator to see if there are additional funding opportunites in your county.

About the 2015 Conference

When and where: 3 p.m. Sunday, March 22, 2015 to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, 2015. Tours and agency visits will take place at the State Capitol and surrounding area.

Who should attend: High school students at least 14 years old and adult participant-chaperones. All participants must have pictured identification.

Cost: $310 4-H and Michigan Farm Bureau members, $320 non 4-H members. Includes all meals, lodging and material fees. Counties will be billed after the event.

Registration deadlines: Registration is collected online via a secure web-based platform. Interested participants must register by February 16, 2015. If you have any questions on the registration process, contact your county 4-H program coordinator.

Application process: Participants who have attended in previous years will be considered based on space available. Space is limited to 100 teen and adult chaperone-participants. Each teen or adult participant-chaperone will need to apply online. Contact your county MSU Extension office for more details.

Pre-conference activities: Participants complete a pre-conference activity to learn about citizenship at the local level. Examples include attending a local government meeting, interviewing the director or staff member of a non-profit organization or researching a local issue. All selected participants should write a letter to their representative and senator indicating their interest in meeting them at the conference. Visit Pre-conference activities for more activity ideas.

Post-conference activities, news releases & photographs: Participants should return to their county 4-H program and get involved with local public policy issues. Examples include giving an educational presentation on the conference to 4-H clubs, researching a local issue and presenting it to the county commissioners, city councils or township boards or participating in a service project. Participants should work with their county delegation to carry out a local project. Visit Post-conference activities to find activities and resources to help clubs and groups learn more about the political process.

A Web link to a post-event news release and county delegation photograph of participants and their legislator(s) will be e-mailed to counties for distribution to local media following the event.

Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) Partnership

This year 4-H Capitol Experience will be presented in part by Michigan Farm Bureau (MIFB). Instead of hosting the MFB Young People’s Citizenship Seminar (YPCS) program, Michigan Farm Bureau has decided to support 4-H Capitol Experience as the 2015 leadership development and civic engagement program for statewide youth. This sponsorship supports the 4-H Capitol Experience team in developing a strong unique youth development program with an underlying focus on team building, group decision making and community leadership. As always, 4-H Capitol Experience is not affiliated with any political organizations, but encourages youth to consider all current state issues and examine potential solutions from every perspective.

MSU Extension 4-H Capitol Experience Program Handbook

The 4-H Capitol Experience handbook includes the Michigan 4-H Youth Code of Conduct and 4-H Capitol Experience Rules. All participants, volunteers and staff members are expected to abide by the code of conduct, the event rules and all other MSU regulations in order to attend this program. Everyone involved in this program must sign an agreement stating they’ve read, understand and agree to the Michigan 4-H Code of Conduct and program rules in order to be allowed to participate in the program.

To Find Out More About Michigan’s Capitol

You can visit a variety of Michigan government and institutional sites to learn more about Michigan, the state’s history and society:

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 4-H Educator Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)Phone: 517-432-7603

4-H Volunteer Workshops

4-H Volunteer Training Workshops

September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015

Kettunen Center and Kellogg Biological Station

The 2014-15 Michigan 4-H Volunteer Training Series is supported by the Michigan 4-H Foundation with gifts made by donors and supporters like you.

Soon you will be provided a link for the instructions for registration in the Michigan State University ANR Event Registration system. As descriptions are built into the new system, the URL for registration will also become available on this page. There will be a unique URL for each workshop. Also, included is the Code of Conduct/Medical/Media Release form required for all workshop participants.

Learning Lab Training – Open to kids in a specific age group who will work on project-related tasks while adults and teens ages 14 and up learn to work with the younger kids.

Content-Specific Training – Open to young people and adults in project areas with age limits for safety reasons (such as shooting sports, limited to 4-H’ers ages 16 and up) or subject matter (such as Peer Plus, limited to 4-H’ers ages 14 and up).

Family Weekend Workshops – Open to families with children ages 5 to 12.

Youth Training – Open to 4-H youth of a specified age range only (such as the 4-H Teen Horse Volunteer Leader Conference). The only adults allowed to register for these workshops are accompanying chaperones.

The workshop format will be set by the state 4-H programming committee and the state 4-H staff members who coordinate the training sessions held at Kettunen Center, Kellogg Biological Station and other Michigan sites. Use a 4-H member’s age by January 1 of the current program year (that is, January 1, 2015) to decide whether he or she is eligible to attend a particular workshop.

Location: MSU Tollgate Farm, 28115 Meadowbrook Road, Novi, MI 48377Spend a week with an eye out for hatching chicks, caring for goats, collecting chicken eggs, investigating a living pond and discovering how the forest springs to life.

Location: Tollgate Conference Center 28115 Meadowbrook Road Novi, MI 48377 In this session, participants will learn strategies for making and monitoring mentee-mentor matches, examine ways to support and recognize matches, and the closure procedure.

Location: Otsego County Building 800 Livingston Blvd Gaylord, Michigan 49735Learn how to implement this new National 4-H curriculum focusing on career exploration and workforce preparation. Curriculum, toolkit, and refreshments included.

Location: Lapeer County MSU Extension, 1800 Imlay City Road Suite 1, Lapeer, MI 48446An important professional development opportunity to gain 4-H Club Development resources, network with colleagues, and practical ideas for CYI colleagues and volunteers.